What Lies Ahead
by MisticLight
Summary: Narnia has separated a couple, brought one together, and given Margaret and Annette dreams beyond anything they have ever imagined. However, as they embark on a new voyage, lifelong decisions must be made that could ruin their friendship forever. Co-written with MistroStrings. Sequel to "As It Goes." Caspian/OC and Edmund/OC.
1. Getting Through the Day

**HEY GUYS. So, I know that a lot of you said popsicle, so here. IT. IS.**

**Today is MISTICLIGHT'S BIRTHDAY, SO EVERYONE PLEASE GIVE A BIG SHOUTOUT IN THE REVIEW AND SHOW HOW MUCH YOU LUV HER.**

**OR just review! That would be the best birthday gift ever.**

**Okay? Okay. Let's get this ball rolling. We hope you like this installment even more than the first one. :3**

**All the love in my heart,**

**MISTRO**

**~.~.~.~.~.~**

Margaret was not happy. In fact, happy was the last thing she _wanted _to be. She knew that it was childish to complain, but she couldn't help herself. It was the summer. School was for the horrible, dreary months where you were miserable every second of the day. Not when you had a grassy park waiting for you just around the corner.

Margaret's hair had gotten longer over the past few months, and though she looked different, she felt the same. Her imagination ran wild with dreams of Narnia and Aslan, not chemistry books and math papers.

At first, she swore she had dreamt it all. She was so afraid that it had been a fairytale inside of her head that she barely spoke a word about it to Annette for hours. It was only when Edmund finally mentioned something after school one day that she was able release a sigh of relief.

And yet, she was back in England. Rainy, gloomy England. The tall walls of her school looked down at her with hidden eyes. She knew that she would be late if she didn't go in now, but Margaret couldn't care less. _I was a Lady of Narnia,_she thought miserably to herself. _Now I'm stuck here doing Chemistry papers when I could be swimming in the Narnian Sea._

"Margaret?"

The voice caught her off guard. She spun around to see a flustered Annette rushing towards her. "What on Earth are you doing just _standing_there? We're both going to be late for class!" She tried to nudge her friend inside of the gothic building, but Margaret kept her position.

"Wait, Annette! How are _you_ late? You're never late!" Margaret looked her friend up and down. "Not to mention, you're all sweaty. Have you been running? What were you doing; dreaming too much?"

Annette scoffed in annoyance. "Never mind that! Do you want us to get a mark on our first day?" Margaret shrugged. Annette should have known by then that Margaret didn't give a wink about her effort. "Don't grace that question with an answer. I'm certain I won't want to hear it."

The two girls made their way swiftly down the empty halls, despite Margaret's keen desire to be late on her first day of summer school. Only a few students were around the corridors: those who wanted to study for fun and those who didn't. Margaret and Annette were clearly the latter.

"Have you met him yet?" Margaret whispered as they entered the filled room. Sixteen pairs of eyes fell on them, and none with any warmth. Annette shivered under their watch and drug herself to the back of the room. "I thought maybe you were late because you were visiting the Pevensies."

"Who are you talking about?" Annette tried to keep her whispers quiet as she tugged her books from her rucksack.

"The cousin," Margaret mumbled as she took her seat beside her friend. "Eustace." The chair scraped out beneath her, causing the entire class to once again snap their attention towards the girls. Margaret couldn't help but laugh at the scene. "They hate me already and all I've done is pull out a chair."

Annette firmly grasped her friend's sleeve, yanking her down onto her stool. Margaret could feel the embarrassment on her friend's face without even having to look at her. "No, I haven't met him yet, and by the sound of it I don't rightly care to."

"Rightly so!" Margaret snickered. "He's the most spoiled creature I've ever met. If only Peter were here. He could teach that boy some sense."

Margaret had met Eustace Scrubb. He was a nasty little thing, as greedy and rude as they came. He was the kind of boy who tripped people for fun and refused to eat when his mother cooked a five-course meal. Margaret hated him before she even met him, and when she did, she didn't think it was possible to hate him even more. How wrong she was.

"At least Edmund is here," Annette offered with a smile. "He's much more mature now. Ever since Peter and Susan left, he's really taking care of things with Lucy. I'm sure he's handling things very well."

Margaret's concern suddenly flushed away at the mere mention of the boy's name. Annette was right. Edmund _was_ becoming a bit more like his elder brother, only much more understanding. He was taking care of Lucy while Peter and Susan were in America, and he was certainly proving his worth. Not only that, but his desire to fight for his country made Margaret see the adult in him much more clearly. Secretly, his desire to fight worried her. But she always put on a smile when he brought it up.

Margaret knew how lucky she was. She would visit Edmund often during the week. He would take her to go see a film on some nights, and on others they would go to the diner. Sometimes she blushed when he held her hand, and other times, she would be the one to take his. She knew that she was in a relationship, but the idea was still so hard to comprehend that she often kept her thoughts to herself. Edmund never seemed to mind her timidity.

The best days were when they would lay on the grass in the park and talk about Narnia. They would laugh about Trumpkin, and awe over Aslan. Edmund would put on his best mouse voice and act like Reepicheep, which only made Margaret long to see her friends again. As much as they missed it, it worried them to go back. They had no inkling of how much Narnian time had gone by. It could have been thousands of years!

And that was why Annette rarely spoke about it. Caspian was waiting for her. She was waiting for her ticket. Margaret always heard her whispering prayers at night to keep him safe. Margaret knew how frightened she was. Annette could go back to Narnia, and Caspian might be eighty years old or dead. Or worse, he could have forgotten about her and married another.

Margaret could only smile and keep Annette busy to take her mind off of things. They had spent nearly every minute of the summer together so far, and neither one had grown tired of the other. It was a rare thing with friends, and both of them treasured the other for it. Not to mention, they each had a shoulder to cry on.

"Good morning, class."

"Oh, no." The thoughts stopped instantly in both of the girls' heads. Margaret's face slammed onto the table at the mere sound of the professor's voice.

Annette audibly gasped and nudged her friend. "Margaret, composure yourself!"

"It's just…" Margaret could hardly find the words. "It's _chemistry!_ Do I look like a chemist? Remind me why I'm here again."

"No. You look like a foolish young girl who daydreamed too much in class, so she had to come and take summer lessons." Margaret shut her eyes as she felt the breath of her teacher trickling down the back of her neck. Her mother was going to kill her if she got sent home. "I heard you were going to be in my class, Miss Margaret."

Slowly, the blonde turned her head with a fake smile. She was slightly proud of her new reputation, although she knew she could not afford to fail this class. "I _do_ hope we can get along this summer."

Mrs. Bird had a nose like a hook and eyes as small as buttons. Her teeth were far too yellow and they stuck out even more with her pasty skin. She was not a sight to behold, and Margaret would have given anything to be back in Narnia as she stared into her black eyes. "Oh, I'm sure we'll get along _splendidly_." Sarcasm dripped from every word.

Annette lightly grasped Margaret's knee under the table. She could read the gesture. _Don't push it._

Listening to her friend's advice, Margaret turned around and said no more. She got her pencils and paper ready and waited for the day to be over. Unfortunately, as her eyes flickered towards the clock, she realized that she still had three hours and twenty-two minutes to go.

~.~.~.~.~

It was about two weeks before when Margaret first met Eustace Scrubb. It wasn't exactly how she had planned it to be, but then again, Lucy and Edmund _had_ warned her. Margaret begged Annette to come and meet the devil with her, but her friend had no interest in snotty little boys. Books were a much more suitable company.

After making her way to the house, Margaret sat with Lucy in her new bedroom at her uncle's house. Her sheets were still flat, and Margaret wondered if she had even slept since she'd arrived. She doubted it. The walls were all white like a hospital, and the place reeked of dust. Margaret was there to make her comfortable though, so they sat on the windowsill and began a nice conversation.

"Her dress is lovely," Lucy mumbled about a young girl who walked by beneath her window. She stared down with twinkling eyes.

Margaret caught sight of the pink, frilled dress flipping out behind the girl's coat. A smile flickered onto her face. "Not half as lovely as the ones you wore in Narnia." Lucy lifted her eyes and managed a pathetic smile. Something wasn't right with the gesture, and Margaret picked it up right away. "What's the matter? Have you been missing it?"

"Of course I miss it! I would much rather be there than with my cousin, Eustace."

Margaret's confusion still ran high. "That's not what's bothering you though, is it?"

Lucy only smiled. "I guess you could say that I just don't feel like myself anymore. Everyone around me is getting older and more mature. Somehow, I feel like it's skipping me. I can't prove my worth because of my age, and no one knows the things that I've seen."

Margaret almost laughed at the girl. She was the most mature Pevensie of them all. "Oh, Lucy, surely you cannot believe those things. You have to know how strong you are. You were a Queen of Narnia, and you see goodness in even the worst of people." Margaret went to brush a strand of hair behind the girl's ear. "Don't ever put yourself down like that. You make me sad to hear it."

"Yes, but I'm not…" She struggled to find the words until her face went as red as her auburn hair.

"You're not…?"

"Pretty," she finally spat out. "I've never looked like Susan, and I'll never be anywhere near as elegant as you or Annette. You all have boys falling at your feet, and I'm just waiting here for some sort of consolation." Margaret was too confused by one sentence to properly take in all of them.

"Me?" She snickered. "Elegant? Oh, Lucy, you obviously haven't been paying much attention." Margaret sensed her words were not comforting. It took her a moment to understand the gravity of her confession. "Lucy, do you really not see how beautiful you are? You are as beautiful as they come! Inside and out-"

"Is this _really_ happening?"

The shrilly voice took both of the girls off guard. A small boy with spider-like eyebrows leaned against the white doorframe. His scrawny arms were folded over his chest as if he were trying to make himself look tougher. Margaret knew who he was without an introduction. "Are you _seriously _talking about how pretty you are? It's straight out of a novel, if I've ever read one."

"Well, obviously, you haven't." Margaret spat in annoyance. She knew at that first moment they weren't going to get on well, so she didn't bother with her courtesies. Thank goodness her mother wasn't there.

"Who _are_ you, anyway?" He stood up a bit straighter and let his arms drop to his sides. "This is my house. I don't ever remember letting a cheeky girl like you come in."

Lucy scoffed in annoyance. "Eustace, if we're bothering you so much, why don't you just leave? Trust me; everyone would be happier for it."

He only laughed this off before repositioning his gaze on Margaret. "Your hair is blonde. I've heard that makes people dumber. Turns out that you're living proof."

Margaret's brow rose in amusement. "You are so clever that it physically pains me…"

"The Pevensies are strange enough as it is, and now they're dragging their lunatic friends into my house!" His eyes caught sight of Margaret's school bag, where her Grimm Tales book tumbled halfway out. "Oh, brilliant. You believe in those fantasy words too? I should have known that my cousins would be hanging out with the likes of you."

He went to reach for the book, but Margaret's hand snapped down and snatched his wrist before he could see her coming. She made sure to keep it tight in her nails, and watched as pain flickered past his eyes. "You really shouldn't touch things that aren't yours."

Eustace was too surprised to speak. Eventually, Margaret let him go free, before he ran out of sight. "Insane!" She heard him scream as he bounded down the stairs. "They're all crazy! Every last one of them!"

"Oh, right," she grumbled. "Says the boy who collects bugs."

~.~.~.~.~

Now, Margaret was taking Chemistry class. It wasn't quite as bad as being with Eustace, but it was still making her skin crawl. Her eyes continued to flicker up towards the clock hands, but they had only moved twice since she had last looked.

"Margaret, stop staring at the time and take notes. Watching the clock only makes it worse." Annette noticed how distracted her friend was. There was no way they were going to pass their course if Margaret didn't step up her game.

"Sorry," she mumbled as she started copying her friend's notes. "I just can't wait to get out of here."

"Do you and Edmund have plans tonight?" Annette whispered quietly.

Margaret shook her head as her lead pencil dug firmly in the paper. "No, he's got to watch Eustace and I refused to be there with him."

Annette scoffed. Margaret wasn't exactly a perfect girlfriend. _But, at least she can see the boy she cares for. _Queasiness began to wash over Annette at the mere thought of her own affection.

Caspian and his dark eyes. Caspian and his thick accent and soft smile. She wished for nothing more than to be with him. Even for a moment. She felt a bit silly for thinking it, but somewhere inside, she prayed Aslan could hear her. She hoped he knew how much she missed Narnia. Naturally, she was glad to be with Margaret, but how much longer did they have to wait?

"Thanks for letting me copy."

Margaret made Annette snap from her thoughts. She only gave a small smile in response. The teacher's voice began to fade out as her eyes met the test tube that sat before her.

_Chemistry,_she thought. _What an amazing thing. It can relate to a science and an emotion. In fact, love and science are practically one in the same._She hated to look at it that way, but it made sense in her head. _Emotion brings people together. Oh, Science, if only you were that good. If only you could bring Caspian and I back together._

"What are you thinking about?" Margaret already knew the answer, despite her question.

"Nothing," Annette mumbled back silently. "Just some worn-out dreams."

They both went back to being quiet after that. Annette said all she needed to say. But, deep inside of her, she kept begging.

_Please let me see him again. Please let it be soon._

_~.~.~.~.~.~_

**REVIEW AND MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. Sorry for the slow start. The ball will start to roll eventually, but we needed to post on this significant day. X3**


	2. In Light of Things

**Thank you everyone for the Birthday wishes and reviews! And a special thanks to MistroStrings for "getting the ball rolling" with such dedication that she posted on my birthday. It was such a lovely chapter! Don't you all agree?**

**Well, we're back. WHOO! A new adventure is about ready to set sail (pun intended). So I hope you're all ready for one heck of a Narnian tale.**

**Reviews are appreciated. MISTROSTRINGS AND I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THEM!**

**Happy reading! And Happy Halloween!**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

Similar to Margaret, Annette was not at all pleased with spending her summer afternoons in class. She had _graduated_. She shouldn't even be in a classroom full of students who were one, maybe two, years younger than her. It was embarrassing! Thankfully no one was likely to remember her when the course was over. Annette had bigger and better things planned for her future. She would most likely slip away from the students' memories.

And at least she had Margaret. Without her, Annette would be completely alone. She would have dreaded that even more, especially since Chemistry was intimidating enough as it is. With all the test tubes, bubbling liquids, and Bunsen burners… it all made her head spin.

The only thing keeping Annette sane with her current situation, besides her dearest friend, was Narnia. She thought about it often: the vibrant colors, all the friendships she'd made, the elaborate celebrations, Aslan, how the Lion helped her discover herself, and… Caspian… Annette thought about him the most.

It's not that she was upset with her decision of leaving; Margaret needed her just as she still needed Margaret. But now Margaret spent many evenings with Edmund. With the older Pevensies being gone, and the younger two either busy, spending time with Margaret, or assigned to the dull task of entertaining their cousin, Annette found herself alone with Margaret's parents, which was essentially being completely alone since they were never around. These lonely moments, when numerous thoughts flew throughout her mind, was when Annette truly missed Caspian.

She wanted to see him; even if it were just a quick glimpse. To see how he was doing and if everything was all right. Simply hearing his voice or staring into his eyes would put her aching heart at ease for a little while.

_That's a rather silly thought… missing someone so much it nearly hurts. _Annette sighed and shook her head. She knew even though it sounded foolish, it was entirely true. _I just wish we-_

"Annette!" Mrs. Bird chirped from the chalkboard, making the girl literally jump from her thoughts. "Can you repeat the element I've been talking about for the past fifteen minutes?"

"Yes, well…" Her eyes darted from the Professor's arched brows and sarcastic smile to the recently erased board. "The e-element in which y-you're referring t-to is… is…" She was beginning to stutter, signaling her panic. Mrs. Bird knew Annette was too lost in thought to notice the lecture, which was why she was called upon in the first place.

Annette was just about to admit her defeat when a soft cough caught her attention. She looked over to Margaret, only to find her friend's pencil constantly underlining something on her notebook. She quickly read the contents out loud, "Magnesium! … Mg, Magnesium."

"Well done! Correct as usual," Mrs. Bird cooed before facing the board. "But perhaps next time you can pay attention rather than look at Miss. Margaret's notes? Your inability to focus is what put you here in the first place."

Although the teacher wasn't even looking, Annette hung her head. It was true. She was normally a good student, but Narnia consumed her thoughts during her final term. As a result, she could never really focus on anything her science teacher said, and that teacher just so happened to be Mrs. Bird. Annette hadn't failed the class though. Her homework was always completed on time, questions directed at her were answered after a momentary befuddled pause, and she studied for every test; thus, she passed. Mrs. Bird, however, took note of Annette's distracted state and was somehow able to persuade both the principal _and _Margaret's parents that Annette needed to take the summer Chemistry course to "better prepare the child for the future by means of discipline."

_At least that's how she put it, _Annette angrily thought.

A sudden tap to her side was what brought Annette back to the world this time. It was Margaret, and she didn't appear to be all too pleased at the moment. "Glaring at Mrs. Bird's back won't do you any justice, especially if she turns around," Margaret lectured as she tapped her pencil against her chin. "And what was it you said to me about taking notes?"

Without waiting for a response, she slid her notebook over so her friend could copy down what she'd missed. Annette sighed as she wrote, "If we were to combine, I'm positive we'd be the worst student here."

"Or the best!" Margaret winked. Annette merely shook her head before handing the notebook back. Luckily she hadn't missed too much, or at least not nearly as much as Margaret had when she periodically glanced at the clock.

For the next few minutes, the Professor talked about the basics of magnesium: discovery, weight, electrons, and properties. To say the least, all of it was rather dull. Somehow, miraculously, Margaret and Annette were able to pay attention the entire time. They took notes as all students should and listened to every word their professor uttered.

"I do hope you all remembered your lab journals," Mrs. Bird droned on with her back still to the class. "Because you're all about to conduct an experiment with the person sitting beside you. Failure to possess the necessary material will result in a similar grade."

The classroom immediately filled with students shuffling through bags in an attempt to find their required black lab journal. Margaret found it silly to have separate pads for notes and experiments, but she kept her thoughts to a minimum. She couldn't help but offer one complaint though: "We're not even thirty minutes into the class and already she's putting us to work."

Annette softly shook her head before reaching into her own rucksack, "Well she _is _the professor. She can do as she very well pleases."

"I'll say!" Margaret snorted before looking through her bag. Since she was a highly organized person, she found the journal rather easily. She swiftly pulled the dark binder from her rucksack and onto the table. After dusting off the cover, Margaret folder her hand atop it and turned to Annette. She expected to find her friend in a similar position, not in a frazzled state.

When Annette felt Margaret's eyes on her, she hoisted her knapsack onto the table while mumbling, "I swear I put that journal in here…"

Still there was no sign of the needed notebook. Much to the amusement of Margaret, Annette finally resorted to spilling the contents of her bag onto their conjoined desk. A spare pencil tumbled to the floor as she shoved books and papers alike from her bag. Margaret simply couldn't contain her giggles. She was about to explode into a fit of laughter, ultimately disrupting the class, when one of Annette's possessions slid to a stop beside her.

It was a book. But not just any book. It was dark green with the exception of a red lion in the center of the cover. Margaret's heart slowed as she stared at it. Time seemed to slow when she reached for the little book, and when her fingertips grazed the top, a flood of memories overtook her.

"Found it!" Annette chirped as she pulled the retched journal from her bag. "I told you I had it, Margaret. So you can stop your-" _laughing_. Except Margaret wasn't laughing anymore. Annette turned to her, "What is it?"

"You still have this?" She nearly whispered as her hands traced the lion symbol. Her analyzing eyes never left the treasured book. "I understand _why_… but it's been a year. Why are you still carrying this around?"

"Because…" Annette took the book from Margaret with a sigh, "I don't know. I've carried it with me every day since the moment we left Narnia. I was afraid our adventurous story would slip away somehow. I guess another part of me also hoped there'd some be magic left inside…"

Margaret smiled and placed a hand on her sad friend's. She wanted to go back to Narnia and see her friends just as much. "We'll go back one day, you know."

"I know," Annette happily replied as she gently placed the book on the table. "Aslan did say he didn't think we were done seeing our new home." Then her face took on a somber tone, "I'm just afraid of what we'll come back to."

Nothing more needed to be said. They were both scared. An entire year had gone by! When that happened to the Pevensies, nearly thirteen hundred Narnian years had passed. Would their friends still be around? Will there be another war? Would Lucy and Edmund travel with them again? Would Caspian even be alive?

_Only Aslan can help us, _Margaret wistfully thought.

"… And that's all you need to do. So just grab the materials from the front counter, follow my instructions, and write down both your process and conclusion in your journals." Mrs. Bird's voice appeared out of nowhere, by Margaret's standards. When she looked to Annette, her friend appeared just as confused. "Begin."

The class instantly leapt to their feet and stampeded to the front of the classroom. Margaret and Annette trailed at the back in a dazed. Eventually Margaret leaned toward her friend, "Do you have any idea what we're supposed to be doing?"

"Not a wink. I was hoping maybe you had listened in." When Margaret groaned, Annette knew their cause was lost. "I suppose we'll just have to observe the actions of those around us so we correctly perform the experiment. It won't be so bad. I mean, that's generally how I functioned during the past school year, and I received relatively good grades. Sadly, we should probably vow not to think or speak of Narnia for a little while."

"Agreed," Margaret unhappily said as she picked up two ribbons of magnesium, just as the girl before her had. She then snagged a pack of matches while Annette fetched a crucible, tripod, and a pair of tongs.

With all their materials acquired, the girls wandered back to their desk to begin the process of blindly conducting an experiment. They attempted to gather clues of what to do from those nearest them, but had trouble following their exact movements since Margaret and Annette happened to be sitting in the back. After a good five minutes ticked by, the materials had yet to be touched.

"Oh, this is pointless," Margaret exclaimed, crossing her arms and slumping onto her stool. "We might as well accept failure now. There's no future for us!"

Annette rolled her eyes, "Margaret, stop being so dramatic. It's only been a few minutes!"

"Yes… a few minutes into the rest of our miserable lives!" She slammed her head onto the table.

With a sigh, Annette decided it would be best to simply allow Margaret some time to wallow in her grief. If she wanted to ignore the true qualities of life, then so be it. Annette would just have to do the experiment herself then.

She glanced around at the multiple pairs of students standing in front of her once more. Each set stood so close to one another that they unintentionally blocked out their work. It was only when someone had to bend over and retrieve a fallen match that Annette saw the setup of one group. She only got a quick glance, but it was quite enough for her.

Working fast so the memory wouldn't fade, Annette wrote out what she thought the steps would be into her lap journal. Then she set to work. After edging the nearby Bunsen burner closer, she centered the tripod above the spout. This tripod was unique in that it had an opened circular shape yet a triangle was still formed right through the top it. And it was just the proper size for the crucible to snuggly fit in.

Once the crucible was settled, Annette turned to the magnesium ribbons. One she curled into the little cup, while the other she decided to be a bit more creative and have it loop out of the top. _No sense in Chemistry being boring._

She was a bit uncertain as to what the tongs were for, but decided it would be needed later since matches were involved. The Bunsen burner meant gas, and matches meant fire. With this being the setup, Annette had a fairly good assumption that she and Margaret were about to melt the magnesium ribbon. And she was definitely excited about that.

Annette turned the Bunsen burner to its lowest setting before snagging the matches. She lit one with a smile and was about to bring it to the gas, but hesitated when she realized Margaret had yet to do something. With a huff, she shook out her match and turned to her still pouting friend. "Margaret? I have everything set up. All that's left is to light the Bunsen burner. Would you possibly like to-"

"Yes! Give me those!" Margaret nearly screamed in her excitement. She had always been slightly fascinated by fire, and jumped at the thought of crafting one. She grabbed a match and wasted no time in lighting it. "What's going to happen once I light this thing?"

"The magnesium will burn and…" Annette peered at her fellow students, "I have no clue what happens after that."

"Well we're about to find out," Margaret grinned. Carefully, she placed the match along the edges of the Bunsen burner until the gas spewing from it blazed with fire. She then shook the match out, placed it on the table, and waited for some sort of reaction to occur.

It only took a second. One minute the two girls were staring at the experiment arrangement and the next the magnesium was blinding them with light. The white shine now flooding their vision was beautiful and somehow lifted their hearts with joy. They also felt the heat radiate from the magnesium and onto their faces. Annette eventually had to step away for fear of either blinding or burning herself. Margaret, however, remained where she was. Although the light was beginning to make her vision spotty, she rather enjoyed watching the fire dance its way up the magnesium loop Annette made.

As it came closer to the top, both girls knew the white light would fade soon. They didn't want the comforting feeling to dissolve in their unpleasant thoughts of summer school. However, the light did not go out when it reached the peak. In fact, quite the opposite happened.

Margaret gasped and almost stepped on Annette's toes when she realized something was off, but she didn't care. The light was _growing_, enveloping the entire classroom in a sheet of white. And it was bright; the brightest thing any of the girls had ever seen. They quickly snapped their eyes shut, but not before Annette made sure to firmly clutch her friend's hand. Whatever was happening, she would not lose Margaret.

The heat stayed with them though. The temperature rose significantly, yet it held little effect on either girls' skin. They could only sense the change, nothing more. Something was preventing them from burning altogether.

"Is this magic?" Annette shouted above the ringing in her ears. She was excited, yet terrified all the same.

"I hope so," Margaret shouted back with a broad smile slowly taking over her lips. "Because if it's not, I swear I'm going to-"

Unfortunately, Margaret was unable to finish her sentence because a gust of wind suddenly pushed both of them forward. They collapsed onto the ground with a grunt, and poor Margaret received a mouthful of sand because of it.

~.~.~.~.

**Today is Halloween and I've given you all a special treat: a brand new chapter! Perhaps now you can give MistroStrings and I one by reviewing, eh? Because getting tricked out of one is no fun.**

**We'll send you some imaginary candy if you review! I hear they're delicious.**


	3. Unspoken Desire

**I'm so sorry for the long wait! It has been far too long, hasn't it? I know it has been, and once again, I apologize. School has eaten me up. I had no idea University life would be so stressful.**

**At any rate, thank you all for the amazing reviews, and enjoy the chapter. (:**

**-MistroStrings-**

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

The salty taste of sand tumbling its way down Margaret's throat was the least of her worries. It was that she was somehow suddenly on a beach, in a place she could not consider familiar, that was beginning to bother her. Her arms felt as heavy as lead as she lifted herself from the beach's floor with little comprehension of her surroundings.

Nothing but sea and sky stretched out before her and the salty smell began to overwhelm her senses. Though the sun was beginning to set, the last rays of heat warmed her face. For a moment, bliss closed her inside its arms and nothing could awake her.

Yet, a moment is exactly that. A moment. A sudden fit of coughing behind her pulled her daydreams aside and trapped her back into the darker grasp of reality.

"Annette!" Margaret gasped as she faced her friend. The poor girl was struggling to stand in the moist sandbank. Her school slippers were soaked to the core. Annette had every reason to be discouraged, but when Margaret went to help her, she noted nothing bitter about her.

"He heard me," Annette's voice was hardly more than a whisper. "Aslan. He _must _have sensed my wishes. He has brought us back."

Margaret briefly considered the idea, but she could not stop her face from twisting at Annette's words. Narnia? This wasn't how she remembered the beautiful land. The beaches used to be as golden as Aslan's mane and the water and sky moved together in perfect, blue harmony. Wherever they were was not like the fairytale land she had grown to love. The sands were white and without a trace of beauty. The sun was not warm, but blistering hot. This couldn't be their second home. This couldn't be Narnia.

"Maybe you're thinking too quickly," Margaret tried to interject.

Annette's hands flew up above her head. "Margaret, don't be a fool!" Her hair was a giant mess upon her head, but her smiling face echoed the thrill inside of her. "You're the one who isn't thinking. Where else would we be? Where else _could _we be? One second we're thinking about Narnia, and the next-"

"_You _were thinking about Narnia," she said coldly. "I was trying to get my science project done."

Annette noticed the sharpness in the girl's tongue. She was always like this when she didn't know the truth: aggressive, eager, and tiresome. The symptoms were all there and Annette knew what to do in this situation.

Keep her mouth shut.

"How about this?" Annette suggested, "We'll go and have a look around. We'll find someone who can give us better answers." The extension of her hand was received hesitantly by her friend. None the less, Margaret took it, and took it firmly.

A sturdy wall blocked any view of the city's insides. Its heavy frame was crumbling, and the color mirrored the sand beneath it. Annette confessed inwardly that it didn't look a thing like the Narnia she knew, but there was still so much left of the country that they had never seen. What if this such an instance?

And worst of all… What if she was mountains and seas away from Caspian?

_Why did you bring me _here, _Aslan? _She asked inside her mind. _There seems to be nothing waiting for me. Perhaps we are too late. _

Doubt began to bubble inside of her stomach. She could only swallow it down with a weighty gulp. "Come on." Annette took a few steps forward. "Let's go and have a look around before the night grows cold."

Margaret hastily followed, both of their steps small and cautious. Who and what would be waiting behind the barrier? Would it make their journey better or worse? The thoughts hardly had time to gain answers. While the girls began to descend the steps, a voice kept them from going any further.

"What are they wearing?"

Margaret's hand instantly shot out to snatch the back of Annette's blazer. Both were too alarmed to move. "Just keep walking," Annette urged through clenched teeth.

"Come down here, misses. We don't want to use force any more than you want it put upon you." The voice was deep and heavy, but lacking the sweetness of the Lion that shared similar qualities. "They can't be from around her. I've never seen a skirt like that in my life."

Margaret finally took in all the air she had to help her stand a bit straighter. As she spun around to face her subjugators, an unwelcome sight filled her vision. Two muscular men gazed up at her from the bottom step with grins lining their unshaven faces. Dark skinned stretched tightly over their toned bodies, and she could see thick veins jolting out from every visible piece of skin. "You two don't look like you're from Narnia either. Perhaps we should be the ones questioning you."

Both men locked eyes on one another before letting out a harmonized laughter. "Cair Paravel? Any true Narnian would know that this is not the fairy kingdom. This place is not as sweet and exciting as the one you're looking for." The speaker's black eyes narrowed into slits. "Which means that I can presume you're not from here, and therefore you're subject to come with me."

_Oh no,_ Annette thought with a frustrated shut of her eyes. _Margaret… keep your mouth shut for once. _She knew she only had one shot at fixing this mess, and she would try her hardest to set them free of these barbarians. "We're from another part of Narnia, actually." Annette tried to laugh happily, but it sounded more like a whimper. "We were just making our way to meet… our cousins…" Something began to swell up in her throat as she told her lies. The second the untruth slipped from her lips, Annette always felt sick.

"Where from?"

"Cair Paravel, as I said before." Margaret answered swiftly. "You're speaking to Ladies of Narnia. You should hold a bit more reverence in your actions and your tongues."

"Ladies of Narnia?" The other man snickered. "A foolish title that they made up for those not worthy enough to be Queens. What a shame that you've ended up in our custody… _your majesties_."

"Custody?" Margaret began to laugh openly. Annette tried to warn her, but the men were already rushing their way up the stairs. She was too concerned about getting her word in to take note of the situation. "As a matter of fact, I'm- excuse me! What _are _you doing?"

The men seized them without a struggle, tying their hands behind their backs like wild animals. "Don't fight it." The bigger man grunted into the blonde's ear. His breath smelled as sour as rotten fish and his scruffy cheek rubbed against her skin like sandpaper. "You're a Lady of Narnia, after all. You should have some dignity."

"W-wait…" Annette's words were deemed not important as the girls were shoved towards the top of the staircase. "Can we least know where we are, or where you're taking us?" She didn't expect the man to grant them that kindness, but once again she was surprised.

"You're walking on the shores of one of the Lone Islands. Clearly you weren't a Lady of Narnia for too long or else that would be known to you." He grunted with inward satisfaction. It probably wasn't every day that he got to feel smart. "As for where you're going…"

The quartet turned a corner until an open square presented itself. The buildings reminded the girls of the Middle East with their curved rooves and tan exteriors. It was as silent as a finished battlefield and just as eerie. There was not another soul in sight.

The people were hiding.

Margaret's brows scrunched together in her forehead. _Hiding from _what?

"Get moving." The man, who could hardly be called a soldier, ordered her. "I haven't got all day for the likes of you."

"I'll remind you that you're talking to a woman," Margaret snapped back. "If anything, _I'm _the one who hasn't got time for _you_." The man stared back incredulously at her, almost reaching out to slap a hand over her mouth… or her face. She curled back before she could find out.

The other guard snatched his hand before the impact was felt. "Keep your hand to yourself, Ramir," Annette's captor grumbled. "She's not worth getting in trouble for. She'll be in a damp cell with crying eyes soon enough and you can sit there and listen to her with pleasure."

That wasn't exactly making Margaret feel better. The men pushed the girls onwards until their backs were raw from the slaps of their hands. Both of them wanted to cry, but kept their stamina up until they were transported into a dark chamber. Then the stamina disappeared like the water-God that had saved them from the Telmarines many moons ago.

Annette bit down on her lip, wondering what she had done to deserve this hell. _It's because of my summer school. Aslan must have known that I was a bad student and it was Narnia's fault. He sent me back here to show that it wasn't really that special of a place. _And though she almost convinced herself of this notion, she couldn't help but feel a secret bliss.

Narnia.

She was in _Narnia_.

And somewhere across those seas, _he_ could be thinking about her too. There was nothing so sweet as the thought of him and nothing as wonderous as imagining his warm arms around her. Her head began to swim with fantasies. His breath on her neck, his eyes on her lips, his hand in her hair. Too shy to confess anything with words. Too besotted to hide the affection from their eyes.

"Get in."

Annette hadn't even noticed the metal door opening before her. A foul stench whirled into her nostrils as the passageway unlocked further."What is that smell?" She shrieked, pinching her nose in horror. Two rough hands once again found her, plunging her into the cell without a decent answer.

She turned back quickly, trying to make a run for the door, but Margaret's body slammed into her as she was also tossed inside. Both of the girls fell to the ground, their winces covered with the heavy slam of their only exit.

"No!" Margaret cried, rushing to her feet. Her knees fell out beneath her as she gripped onto the door. There was no handle to give her a turn of hope. All that stared back at her was a slab of metal. "Come back! We haven't done anything!" Annette could hear the panic in her voice. It wasn't every day that she experienced this sight, but the men were right. Margaret was locked in a dark cell and her tears would be freed.

_This is all my fault. _The words made Annette feel numb as they passed through her mind.

Annette curled her knees inwards as she stayed on the damp floor. "This is where I belong," she grumbled, kicking a pebble away from her toes. "I've drug us into this mess and now we're never going to get out."

"What if we are killed?" Margaret's words were like daggers. Sharp, painful and sending the message of fury. "Why else would they keep us in this cell without food or water?"

The idea sent shivers down Annette's spine, almost making her queasy with the barbaric idea. "That's not going to happen. Aslan would never let that happen."

"Aslan lets a lot of things happen. He just has a very odd way of taking care of them." Against her will, Annette could not reply. Margaret was speaking the bitter truth. Aslan was certainly a savior, but she had already noted that he only came when things were an inch away from destruction. Perhaps it was because he wanted people to fix their mistakes. He wanted people to see the negative and positive strengths they had and learn how to tame them.

And yet, year after year, people never seemed to learn.

"How many years has it been? One year has passed in our world, but here… Everything seems so different." Annette wondered as the words trickled from her lips.

Margaret was still attached to the door, as if banging her fists was somehow going to set them free. She faced her friend briefly, but offered only a glance before continuing with her previous business.

"Don't you wonder?" Annette continued in a soft voice. Margaret wasn't listening, and her own shouts covered up the small voice of Annette. "How could these people be so hostile after a war? Certainly it must be years later. Narnia was in peace when we left… Or it was headed that way."

It only took Margaret a second to realize her friend's distress. Annette wasn't a nervous girl, so when something_ did_ bother her, the truth came from her timid words and unstable voice. "Annette, don't think about those things. The main thing we need to worry about it getting out of here. Even if it has only been a year…" Margaret knew the risk of bringing him up. The risk of heartache. And yet, the mention of the Prince also brought hope. "… you will never see Caspian unless we free ourselves."

"I know you're right." Just his name was enough to make Annette's stomach burn with desire. "It's just that voice inside of my head telling me that life is not as beautiful as it may seem. It keeps pushing me to find out the truth about what year this is, but there is no one to ask. If only there was a decently friendly guard around, or something-"

Margaret snatched her friend's pale hand in her own. The stone floor had made Annette's hand cold, and Margaret rubbed it affectionately for comfort. "We _will _find out the truth. We _will_ set ourselves free. Aslan would not have called us back if we were destined to be prisoners for the rest of our lives." Annette's head nodded slowly, the dark circles beneath her eyes seeming to grow by the passing seconds. Margaret slid off her school blazer and pressed it into her friend's lap. "Use this as a pillow and go lay down away from the window. It will be warmer over there and you need some rest."

"How could I sleep with these questions on my mind?"

Margaret only smiled and gave her a nudge in the right direction. She knew when her friend was tired, and Annette would be dreaming in a matter of minutes. Before she could even pull herself off of the ground, Annette was fast asleep on a patch of hay. Her dark hair swam out from beneath her head, erupting into a sea of delicate waves. The sight alone made Margaret smile, which was a small feat for such a troublesome day.

The youngest girl carried herself towards the gated window on the opposite side of the room. Her toes barely lifted her high enough to see what lied beyond the metal bars, but before she stumbled down, a quick glance of the outside welcomed her.

A large sea spread out before them, its waves gentle and welcoming. There were no ships on the horizon and the sun was beginning to say its farewells. A cold air was coming through, but she could tell that the water was much frostier. For a minute the serene sight calmed her, until the dripping walls took her view once again.

"Aslan," she whispered with her eyes on a beam of sunlight. "What are you waiting for?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The next morning was almost worse than the day before it. The ground had completely twisted the girls' backs as they slept and their limbs were as frozen as ice. If they hadn't known any better, they might have thought they had been transported back into the days of the White Witch. And yet, Annette was as sensible as always. She wasn't sure of how long they had slept, but by the looks of it, too much time had passed.

"Margaret!" She whispered harshly. Her chapped lips stung with every letter. "Please, get up! I fear that we have been sleeping for ages." The only response she managed to get was a bob from the yellow head. With two firm hands, Annette found the strength to push Margaret into existence.

"What are you trying to wake me up for?" Margaret screeched. "It's not as if we're going anywhere!" Annette had to back away; Margaret's ferocity was at its peak and aimed directly towards her. The feisty girl had never been a morning person.

And yet, another answered before Annette got the chance to. "Keep it down in there!" The face was a mystery, but by the nasty tone of voice, Annette liked it better that way.

Margaret audibly scoffed at the rude response, but Annette knew things were getting serious when she suddenly stood up. Her energy came from nowhere. Whenever Margaret got that way, her actions were always too brash. Annette reached for her ankle as if to stop her, but it was too late. Margaret's chain had been pulled. "Are you telling me to be _quiet_? Why? So you can sit here in peace? Well, you're not going to get peace. Not until you let me out! I am a Lady of Narnia and I deserve veneration!"

"You've got quite a mouth on you, that's all I know."

"And you're a bafoon who can't manage to get a decent job, so you have to stand around doors all day watching out for little blonde girls." Her face was the brightest thing in the dark room, and Annette could only watch its hue grow from the damp floor. "And rightly so! When I get out of here, I won't just give you a piece of my mind, but a piece of my fist as-"

Presumably, Margaret did not expect the door to open on her as she nearly finished her rampage. But it did, and waiting behind the heavy entrance was a very dissatisfied face. There were scars on every one of his features. One eye hung more limply than the other. His lips were almost black, and the color trailed down to his chin as if he had been burnt. The man was terrifying and Margaret cursed herself for being so foolhardy.

"Its fine," she muttered quickly. "I'll be quiet."

"I know you will. That's because I'm going to _make _you." His hand roughly snatched her wrist away from her. A wince of pain from her friend caused Annette to stand up quickly, but as she rushed towards the incident, Margaret was pulled from sight. Her only reward for heroism was a door slamming into her face.

"Margaret!?" It was Annette's turn to rattle her fists against the frame. "Margaret, where are you going?! Don't leave me here!" Tears began to swell at the bottom of her eyes. A lump began to grow in her throat, making it harder to breathe. She had to gasp for air behind her tears, the noise even heartbreaking to herself. _I am alone. Completely and utterly alone._

Annette could hear a voice from down the hall. "Annette!" Her friend's shrieks were fading into abyss until there was no more. "I promise that I won't leave you! I won't…"

Silence.

Annette could not focus on the scenes around her. This was too much. This was not what she had wanted. Her eyes shut as the hot tears trailed down her face. "Aslan, take me home. Take us home." Though she spoke, her words sounded like a foreign language with the shaking of her speech. "Give Margaret back to me, or at least keep her safe. Please do that for me."

She received no answer.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Get off of me!" Margaret shrieked as she was pushed through the damp prison hall. "I am a Lady of Narnia and I demand your cooperation and respect… you big nosed buffoon!" Margaret struggled to find a more threatening insult in her state of confusion. She wasn't quite sure if they knew what she was talking about. Did _anyone_ in Narnia remember her?

"Margaret? Is that you?" A rather familiar voice called out from a nearby cell.

Well, apparently someone did.

The sound of the boy's voice instantly made her forget her previous concerns and direct her attention towards the shadows. "Edmund?" She squeaked as the guards tightened their grip on her arms. "Edmund! Where are you?"

There was little time for a response, because Margaret was hurriedly thrown into a random cell. Thankfully, the sight awaiting her behind the dark door was one she considered a bit brighter.

The dark-haired boy was quick to catch her in his arms as she stumbled into the room. Margaret didn't need to look upon his face. She could recognize this boy by his loving arms any day. "Edmund!" She cried, wrapping her arms tighter around him. "I knew that we could not alone in this miserable place. There was no way that Aslan would bring us to such disaster."

Edmund pulled the girl away from him to get a better look at her face. He knew something was bothering her. Her eyes were as dark as a winter's night and her skin as pale as the snow. She was not the Margaret he had last seen. "What have they done to you…?" His fingers gently touched her cheek, but the coldness of her skin nearly stung him.

"We landed upon the beach last night," she explained. "We had no idea where we were. We still do not know-"

"_We_?"

Margaret had not noticed the other bodies in the room. When Edmund was there, the rest of the world seemed to disappear. And yet, when she glanced upon the speaker, her heart nearly burst with joy. "Caspian!" Margaret ran up to the other boy with open arms. He received the hug warmly with a bright smile. He was a sight for sore eyes and Margaret could not contain her emotions. "Annette is here! Caspian, she is with me! We were only down the corridor! Oh, if only she could know…"

His eyes twinkled as Margaret explained the story, but at the sound of her friend's name, Caspian could not resist a joyful sigh of relief. "Every day I wondered how long it had been in your world. Each night I faced the terrible dreams of never seeing her again." He seemed embarrassed by his confession, but unable to withhold it. "Without her, there is no light."

Margaret gave him a reassuring smile. "She fears the same. If only I could tell her that you are here. If only she knew, she could be herself once more."

Caspian groaned in aggravation, his hands running through his hair. Margaret noticed many things about him that had changed. For one thing, he sounded like her. There was no accent anymore. Caspian was no longer just a Telmarine boy. He was a King. His hair had grown not only on his head, but on his face as well. Margaret could not call him a boy any longer, for Caspian had become a man.

_Annette will be most pleased…_

"Margaret, you need to meet someone." Edmund took a hold of her hand and walked her towards the other side of the room. She hadn't even noticed the withered old man sitting in the corner. His hair was longer than hers, and entirely white, and his skin was as dry as the sand outside. He greeted her with a smile, though it sent shivers up her spine. How long had he been in that prison? "This is Lord Bern. He is one of the seven great Lords, who disappeared from Narnia years ago. He's told us some very important things and is someone who can help us on our quest."

Margaret gave the man a half-smile. She could not wrap her head around this reality. Edmund was here. Caspian was alive and powerful. And yet, what adventure would they be here for this time?

"What things has he told you?" Margaret whispered curiously.

Edmund sighed as his arm gestured towards a small rock on the floor. "I think you'd better sit down."

Caspian began to tell the tales of the three years the girls had missed. "The giants of the north have surrendered to us. It was a peaceful, yet tedious task. In the end, they're much more becoming than they appear to be." Caspian's words were warm, though laced with a bit of humor. He did not judge the people of Narnia based on their race, past, or apparently, size.

"They've also held victory over the Calormen armies of the great desert," Edmund snuck in.

"The Calormen armies? Giants of the North?" Margaret was mainly speaking to herself as her voice dropped to a mere whisper. "There is so much more to Narnia than we ever knew. We were merely novices."

Caspian's eyes grew dark. He glanced at Margaret for a moment, before having to look away for the sake of his emotions. "Perhaps… if you might have stayed longer…" His words trickled off into a memory. A memory of a beautiful girl with curls of deep brown. "That's not what matters," he said with a forced grin. "You are both here now. This is what we must be thankful for."

"Yes, but for how long?" Margaret could not help but put voice to the thought that was eating away at her mind. "If we are stuck here, then there is no purpose."

Lord Bern sighed heavily. "Though there is peace across Narnia, when one is stuck behind bars, he can never truly understand his luck."

"Peace…" Margaret tried to sound pleased with the word, but could not find the solace behind its syllable. "If there is peace, then Aslan had no need to bring us here."

Edmund scoffed amusedly. "That was exactly what I had said when we washed up upon Caspian's ship." His eyes glanced towards the tiny gateway above them, where the light trickled in. "Who knows where they've gone by now?"

"These questions were asked before we got taken hostage…" Caspian managed to grumble his view into the discussion. "The seven lords of Telmar were at risk. My Uncle hunted them and so they fled to the Lone Islands. No one had heard a word since."

"That is, until you washed up upon these shores," Lord Bern made sure his voice was heard. It was the loudest the man had spoken yet and Margaret could hear the wisdom in his aging voice. "King Caspian made it his duty to come and find us. And find one, he did. There are six left, and if you find my old friends, I shall die a happy man." The Lord wore a smile despite the grim topic.

Yet, Margaret still could not wrap her head around all of the news. "If it has been three years here and so much has happened with success, then what was the point of bringing us here? If we are to find these missing Lords, why could you not do it alone?" Her words sounded more aggressive than she had intended. She could see the visible hurt on Caspian's face and was quick to remedy it. "It is not because Annette and I did not wish to come here. We wish it every day, particularly my friend."

Caspian's head snapped up from the floor. His eyes were bright with desire. Margaret knew that if he had the choice between gathering all of the Lords right at that very moment, or seeing Annette, he would choose the latter.

"Annette…" Caspian's voice was strained as he tried to speak. "Where did they take her? Do you know?"

Margaret shook her head. It gave her great pain to do such a small gesture. "When they took me away from her, they did not go for her. She is strong and in good health." Fear boiled inside of the girl's veins. "Please tell me that she won't be…"

"A slave?" Lord Bern was quick to speak the truth. The rest of the group shut their eyes in pain at the simple word. "They have taken the rest of _their _party as well."

Margaret reached for Edmund's arm. "Lucy has come with you? And dearest Peter and Susan?" The thought of the elder boy caused her heart to beat a bit faster. Peter had become a great friend to the girls, until he and his lovely sister left for life in America.

Edmund's twisted face bore no sign of pleasure. "Two came with me, but I'm afraid you only guessed one."

There was no need to explain. Only one person in the world could put such a disgusted look on Edmund Pevensie's face. "Eustace Scrubb." Even the name was horrifying. Though it sickened Margaret to think it, the thought of Eustace being traded away did not sound entirely awful.

"And now they'll take Annette," Caspian spat in annoyance. "Some of the prisoners are sold into the slave trade, while the others…"

"The others?" Margaret wasn't sure she wanted to know what followed.

Caspian's eyes flickered away as he spoke. "The others may disappear forever into the green mist." Margaret didn't even want to ask about this mysterious threat. "We must escape this place, though Lord Bern deems it impossible."

The elderly man shrugged his tired shoulders. "The mist comes and goes without a warning, taking its victims forever, which is why the Lords set out to put a stop to it. None came back. The task ahead of you is dangerous, though what I said before might not have been accurate." Lord Bern could detect the sense of defeat in the youths' eyes. A soft word was offered. "Nothing is impossible for two Kings of Narnia. Perhaps for an old man like me."

Margaret offered the elder a soft smile. "We will escape with you by our side. You shall return to your rightful place in the gentler parts of Narnia."

The man's eyes twinkled. Margaret thought he might not have looked that happy for many years, and she was gladdened to bring such joy to his face. "Those words are spoken by a true woman of Narnia. Pray tell me, sweet child, who are you?"

"You can call me Margaret. Three years ago in your world, I was a Lady of Narnia. Surely you cannot remember me, for I was of little impor-"

"Lady Margaret of the land named England!" His finger rose in the air. "Of course I have heard of the fair-haired warrior who sacrificed her other life to start afresh in Narnia. Many were saddened to hear of you and your partner's leaving."

Margaret could feel her stomach bubbling. She almost felt nauseous from the compliment, but an inward satisfaction was giving her strength. If these people knew her, perhaps she had power. Power not only in title, but also in herself. Power to save her friends. There was only one thought on her mind, and she was no longer afraid to speak it.

"We're going to fight our way out."

She was going to say that with as much determination as possible, but it was too late. Before she could speak, three guards were shoving the group out of the cell. Margaret almost asked where they were headed, the fear crawling back up her skin like the bugs she had slumbered with the night before. She didn't have to say a word. The man shoving her was quick to make his point clear.

"Time to find the highest bidder."

~.~.~.~.~.~

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	4. Coming Together

**HEY GUESS WHAT! Something marvelous has just happened! It's so spectacular that there's NO WAY any of you will EVER be able to guess it. I mean you can try… Go on! Guess!**

**Have you thought of it yet? No? Keep guessing!**

**Give up? Yes? Hmmm… should I tell you this marvelous thing or not?**

**OK FINE I'LL TELL YOU! … You are currently reading the fourth chapter of this Narnian adventure. EXCITING RIGHT?!**

… **What? Don't glare at me through your computer screen! I was only relaying some exciting news.**

**Perhaps you could do the same? In a review? Huh? HUH? ;D**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

Heavy footsteps pounded upon the stone floor shortly after Margaret was forced to leave. They were approaching the cell, each _thud_ of the heel increasing in sound as it echoed off the walls. Whichever face matched those boots; Annette knew they were coming for her. Her tears and silent prayers to Aslan would be useless.

She took a breath—a bit shaky, but deep nonetheless—and pulled herself from the cold floor. She needed to clear her mind, a seemingly impossible task given the circumstances. The past events and disappearance of Margaret made her feel weak, yet the approach of the boots gave her hope. They could actually be a way to find Margaret! _If_ she played her cards right.

Annette quickly looked around the room: Straw, small stones, Margaret's wrinkled blazer, and the layers Annette still wore. It wasn't much, but she could create something useful. She just needed to act like Margaret and put up a fight. There was no way she would allow these men the satisfaction of having a compliant prisoner. With this mindset, Annette rapidly began to pile the stones into the forlorn blazer. The pile was not nearly as large as she had anticipated, but it would simply have to do because the jingling of keys had reached her ears. Time was running out.

Grabbing the sleeves of the blazer, Annette tied a tight knot around the pebbles. This newly constructed weapon of hers was relatively light, but she knew it would be effective nonetheless. Or at least she hoped it would.

A low chuckle began to rumble from the doorway behind her, "This will be much easier now that the little blonde one has been taken care of."

His words and accompanying grunts turned Annette's blood cold. _Taken care of? What does he mean by Margaret has been "taken care of"? Moved somewhere else? Beaten? Or did they… is Margaret… Would they really… _She couldn't even think of the alternative. She simply would not allow it!

Annette's whole body shook as the hinges of the barred door swung open. Shaking not in fear though, but in anger. She spun around to face the four smirking men standing in the door, her eyes set in a cold glare. One man in the back cowered away while another one in front continued his revolting smirk. He laughed at the girl's sudden defiance and took a step closer, "Come now, mates! She's is the _quieter _one; easier to handle. There's no reason to-"

Whatever the man was about to say was cut off by Annette swinging the rock-filled blazer into his face. The force knocked the man into a wall of rocks, temporarily leaving him confused on the floor. The remaining men gazed at the girl in bafflement, not entirely believing what they had just witnessed. A confident Annette, however, only smiled back, thrilled that her weapon was actually working.

Her smiled didn't even falter when the next man charged at her. She ducked down, bringing the blazer right into his gut. The man doubled over as the air left him before tripping over his own feet and ultimately crashing to the floor. Annette then spun around to face her next opponent, except she hadn't really expected _both _of the remaining men to come at her at once. She knew she couldn't fight two with her nearly harmless weapon, so instead she stumbled back to the man who had just fallen over. She threateningly raised her rock blazer above his head. The determined look on her face caused him to cough out a small whimper and the remaining men to stop in their tracks.

"I thought you said she'd be the easier one!" A man said with a glare towards the one who had first felt Annette's spite. After looking that man over in detail, Annette recognized him as the one who had previously shown hatred towards Margaret: Ramir.

Ramir grumbled an inaudible response as he staggered to his feet. Annette could only smile at the justice she had done for Margaret before tensing her hold on the blazer, "Unless you reunite me with my friend, your companion here will take a sore beating!"

Annette was mostly bluffing. She had no problem teaching these ruthless guards a lesson, but there was no way she would beat one of them senseless. It was completely barbaric! And Annette was not a barbaric person.

Unfortunately, Ramir seemed unconvinced by the girl's threat and settled for glaring at her through a freshly bruised eye. "Or how about youcome with us, otherwise your little blonde friend will be the one getting the beating?"

"You… you'll attack Margaret?" Her voice was frail, losing its fierceness. Annette knew she held the power in this standoff, but Ramir had found her weakness. But even then she was able to find some strength and tighten her stance. "Tell me where she is!"

Ramir shook his head with a _tsk _as he cautiously reached his hand out. "Hand over your… weapon," he was unsure whether the girl's form of defense could even be called that, "and we promise not to hurt your friend."

"You lie!" The whole reason Annette and Margaret ever ended up in this situation was because Ramir and his friend had captured them. So obviously Annette felt distrust towards him.

"Miguel!" Ramir threateningly barked, never turning from the now wide-eyed girl.

"No!" Annette's instant cry stilled the air. Her eyes darted across the room as she analyzed her situation. If she continued her fight, Margaret would suffer, but if she surrendered herself, there was a chance Margaret would be spared. The whole thing was hopeless because one of them would lose in the end. A defeated sigh escaped her as she looked to the floor and held out the blazer, "Just don't injure Margaret."

Both she and the weapon were seized immediately, and heavy chains were shackled around her hands shortly after. A menacing chortle passed from Ramir, "_I _will not hurt your friend, but there's no telling what her new _owner _will do once she's sold."

_Owner… Sold… _The horrendous words were obvious traits of slavery, but Annette couldn't believe this would be the fate of her and Margaret. Had Narnia truly allowed these islands to fall so much? _It can't be true._

Her mind was too clouded to voice anything other than the words catching in her throat. Her captors only laughed at the reaction before forcing her from of the cell. Ramir's voice somehow carried above all the chortles, "Put her with the others! She'll be sold at this afternoon's auction."

~.~.~.~.

_What if I never see Margaret again?_

Annette had hardly noticed when she left the dimly-lit prison and entered the streets of Narrowhaven—at least that is what the guards continuously referred to the city as. She was too busy looking at the dirt her heavy feet managed kicked up.

_What if she's sold to the cruelest person on the island? It would be my fault!_

The Sun burned down on her skin as her captors turned slightly to the left. Annette didn't mind though. She thought she deserved the stifling heat as punishment for ruining her friend's life.

_Oh Margaret! I'm so sorry I made us immediately walk into the city! I should never have suggested it. I should have listened to see if you had any-_

"Annette?" The sound of her own name made her stumble. "Annette? Is that really you?" The female voice gained excitement the more it spoke, as well as familiarity. When Annette looked up, there was with a smile planted on her face.

Another girl stood just a few meters away, her auburn hair pulled into a ponytail at her side. She was chained to the wall and her hands were cuffed together, yet she still managed to display a broad smile. Simply seeing the girl in Narnia filled Annette with joy, despite their grim predicament. "Lucy!"

The friends' tried to run towards one another and embrace, but a separate force held each of them back. For Lucy it was the chain around her neck that prevented her from moving too far. As for Annette, a hand on either side of her arm held her back. These were definitely obstacles for the girls, but fortune had finally decided to shine on them because there was only one space left for Annette to be placed, and that spot just happened to be beside Lucy. So the girls contained their greetings until Annette's captors had chained a collar around her neck and left.

"Lucy! I can't describe how thrilled I am to see you here!" Annette cried as the two embraced—which proved to be a challenge seeing as both girls had manacles around their wrists.

A scoff from the other side of Lucy disrupted their happy reunion, "And _who_ are _you_?"

Annette pulled away to gaze at the face of the rude interrupter. It was a pale boy with blonde hair and a rather uncomfortable facial expression currently embedded into his features. His confused eyes nearly glared at her, but it was the light sweater he wore that truly made Annette's nose scrunch. Nonetheless, she politely answered him, "I'm Annette."

The boy took a breath to respond, but Annette was far too excited with the familiar face beside her to deal with him. So she turned back to Lucy, "Is Edmund here then? Where is he? _Please _tell me he hasn't been sold to someone!"

"The slave traders took him away. I don't think he has been sold yet, but I fear he may currently be rotting away in a prison cell…" the girl replied with a quivering lip. Although Lucy was clearly distraught over being separated from her brother, her eyes shone through with pure anger. A small smile pulled at the corners of her lips, which only reminded Annette of the girl's never-ending spirit. "Did Margaret come with you?"

"What?" The boy complained with clear displeasure, "_She's _here too?"

Annette ignored the boy's outburst, deciding a glare would better express her growing irritation with him rather than words. "She's here, but I don't know where. She was a bit too rowdy and aggressive after we woke up, and apparently her words were too much for the slave traders to handle. They took her out of our cell and dragged her away from me." A shiver ran down Annette's spine as she thought of her friend's unfinished promises. She hugged her knees to her chest, "We had only just arrived on the island's beach yesterday…"

"On a beach?" Lucy lightly questioned despite Annette's falling mood, "That sounds far better than what we went through! We were sent through a painting and turned up _in_ the ocean. But then we were rescued by the _Dawn Treader_. When Edmund and I couldn't find you or Margaret on the ship, we were afraid both of you hadn't come to Narnia this time. The disappointed face of Caspian was simply heart wrenching when he discovered both of you hadn't journeyed with us. It was as though-"

"Caspian?" Simply hearing his name warmed Annette. Her face lit up, somehow finding a way to grow as realizations flooded her mind. "He's here? _Alive_?" When the now giggling Lucy began to nod, Annette's heart nearly pounded straight through her chest. She didn't even care about the eye roll and annoyed huff from the unknown boy. All she really wanted to do at that moment was see him, just so she could assure herself he hadn't disappeared. "Where is he now?"

"He's with Edmund," Lucy sadly said. "If they haven't been sold already, they may be auctioned off after us. By comparison, they are the stronger ones."

Annette twisted her shoe into the dry ground as Lucy's words sunk in. She was about to lose Lucy, Edmund, Margaret, _and _Caspian, and that was without even seeing the two boys. Everything was going from bad to worse on this adventure, and yet she couldn't help but conjure up one small smile when a hopeful thought crossed her mind: _Perhaps Margaret is with Edmund and Caspian rather than all by herself! She can certainly play a strong, threatening character…_

She almost laughed at the thought, but her mind had unexpectedly stuck on Caspian rather than focusing on Margaret. Annette was a bit embarrassed with herself for doing so, though overall nothing truly mattered since her thoughts were her own. Caspian was back and alive, which was more than enough to make her heart soar, but Lucy hadn't mentioned how much time passed in Narnia. What if so much time had elapsed that someone else had entered Caspian's life? That would simply crush her soul. But she would understand. She had chosen to go back with Margaret, and even now Annette supported that decision.

Still, she was dying to know the time difference and so tapped her friend on the shoulder. "Lucy… how much-"

Screams sliced through the air before Annette could finish her question. A woman could be heard shrieking out a protest, with a desperate male calling out after her. His shouts were loud, despairing, but it was the cry of "Mummy!" coming from a little girl that really made Annette's stomach drop.

A cart full of shackled men and women of all ages emerged from the arch on the right. More men lightly jogged along the edge of the wagon, presumably acting as guards so none would escape. However, it was the man sprinting from one of the houses that truly grabbed Annette's attention.

"Helaine!" He yelled as he pushed passed the guards. His hand latched onto the woman's just as the cart rolled by Annette, refusing to let go even when one of the guards tried to pry them apart. The man merely shoved the guard away, though the second one proved not to be so easy. Seconds after the man had grabbed the woman's hand, he was painfully lying on the dirt road after being beaten by both guards.

A little girl was quick to jog to her father, still reaching out for her mother. "Mummy!"

"Stay with Daddy!" The mother called back with as much strength as she could muster. If one was to look at her eyes though, they would see how frightened she truly was.

"Don't worry!" Her husband shouted back as he staggered to his feet. The daughter tried to help, but her trembling fingers only managed to grip the sleeves of his shirt. "I'll find you!"

The girl took one final look at the diminishing image of her mother, tears filling her eyes as she weakly reached out to her. "Mummy!"

When Lucy saw the sight of the now broken family, there was nothing to hold back her tears. She wept openly onto Annette's shoulder, unaware of the boy's taunting gaze.

"It seems quite simpleminded for you to be weeping over something you've seen a million times already," the boy scoffed at her. "It's not as if you haven't lived through a war back home."

Lucy looked up briefly to reprimand the boy, but was unable to pull her thoughts together. Instead, she turned back to her friend's comforting shoulder. Annette looked from the weeping Lucy back towards the boy, realization crossing her emerald eyes. "Bigoted _and_ rude? Oh, you must be Eustace!"

The boy looked offended. "Wha-… Whotold you such impertinent things about me? Was it that Margaret girl? She's quite an impossible character, really. I wouldn't believe a single word she says!"

"_She _is one of my truest friends, _Eustace_," Annette hissed back. She was beginning to see why the younger Pevensies found their cousin so intolerable. "And every syllable she utters far surpasses any breath you may take to respond. So stop this irrational thinking of yours before I do it for you!"

Eustace blinked back at her, disbelief shining through the reddening of his cheeks. "Irrational? Did you _really _just call my mind 'irrational'?" Annette didn't say anything. She was quite peeved with the boy and would much rather be consoling her crying friend. Eustace still couldn't help but mutter his complaints though, "Irrational? With all the books I've read that hardly seems conceivable enough to describe me! … Irrational."

Just when Lucy's cries began to settle, a small hum began to fill their ears and a strong wind whipped over them. Annette didn't know where the enchanting tone was coming from, but she was certainly not fond of the loud thunder and terrified screams that followed. She held her breath, fearing that if she moved she would lose her mind. And then who would Lucy have to act as a stronghold? Certainly not Eustace.

But all at once everything stopped: the hum, the screams, the thunder, the wind. Everything simply froze. Annette even thought her heart had stopped, but the fresh tears of Lucy soaking her school uniform told her otherwise. She comfortingly patted Lucy's leg—for that's all she could do with the manacles on—and turned to a Faun sitting beside her. There was a question ringing in her head. "Did those screams come from the people that just passed us?"

The Faun nodded, "They were fed to the Mist."

"The Mist?" Her brows furrowed at the mysterious terror. "Where does that take them?"

"No one has ever returned to tell us," he explained with a sad nod. "The Mist often comes to Narrowhaven, and so the governor decided to send sacrifices so it wouldn't enter the city. Normally those unable to be sold at auction are sent, though sometimes there's a shortage and families must be pulled apart."

Annette's eyes traveled to the now empty spot where the father and daughter had been. Her thoughts briefly trickled to her own separated family, "No one should have to face that."

She sensed the Faun nodding in agreement, but Annette simply couldn't remove her eyes from the emotional spot. A family had been torn apart there, just a few feet from where she sat. _Why would a society be so cruel that they so willingly separate a family? _The pain of the event finally crashed against her heart the more she thought of it. Her thoughts returned to Margaret; her own family. _I hope Margaret wasn't sent to the Mist for her impetuous behavior._

~.~.~.~.

"I bid eighty-five!"

"Ninety-Seven!"

"One hundred two!"

"Well I bid One hundred _ten_!"

Silence.

"Sold for one hundred ten!" The leader of the slave traders, Pug as Annette had learned, declared. The Faun standing on the rock podium didn't even raise his head to gaze at his new master, nor did he flinch when a "Sold" sign was draped over his head. He merely stepped off the podium so a man with a large book could write down the final price.

Pug smiled back at the governor, who was happily sitting in a large golden chair. There was an impressed arrogance emitting through his grin, and Annette did not like it in the slightest. Her lips formed a straight, disgusted line the longer she stared, but the emotion shifted to horror when she felt herself being dragged onto the podium. She yelped in surprise and her body slowly began to shake.

"This is our second female of the day," Pug opened as he pointed a stick at her uniform. "Don't be fooled by her strange attire, I assure you she's quite obedient. Now, who wants to start the opening bid?"

A large man with a dark beard was the first to raise his hand, "I bid…wait…" He paused, blinking as he noticed something about the girl. "Is she _trembling_?"

All eyes fell to Annette who was, in fact, visibly shaking. She couldn't help it! There was a large group of men judging her, determining her fate. She didn't want to belong to any of them. She didn't want to become a slave and serve whoever bought her for the rest of her life, possibly even more than one person! All Annette wanted at that moment was to be back in England in Mrs. Bird's chemistry class with Margaret, a wish she thought would never cross her mind.

"You're not going to let one small shiver prevent you from bidding, are you?" Pug raised a brow as he attempted to bring back his customer. The man, however, lowered his hand to signal his disinterest. Upon seeing this, a glare was sent from Pug to Annette. "I promise she's strong! Do you see that man back there?" He pointed behind him to a now scowling Ramir. "She's the one who gave him that shiny black eye."

The handful of men laughed at Pug's remark. Whether their snickering was directed at Annette or Ramir, Annette couldn't tell. Either way, she began to shake more. She felt as though she were being mocked in both scenarios. Add that to the pressure of judgmental eyes and being auctioned off, and there lies a completely wrecked girl with wobbling knees and chattering teeth. Annette tried to calm down, but her efforts only caused her to briefly fall onto Pug. She immediately straightened herself up, but the damage had been done.

"No bids then?" The leader tried one final time to entice the crowed, but the men remained silent. He sighed, "To the Mist then."

"Wh… What?" Annette uttered through trembling teeth. Her only answer was a tug off the podium and a push towards a nearby cart. A scream filled the air at her departure, but it was not done so by Annette.

"Annette!" Lucy shouted into the still air.

Annette looked back at her friend, who was doing a rather successful job at shoving her way through a handful of guards, "Lucy!"

"No! Annette! I won't leave you!"

Ramir was the one who finally stopped Lucy's crusade, and it was only because he was determined not to be beaten _twice _in one day. Annette could only watch as her friend was pulled back to her former place. Both girls held the other's eye even when Annette was loaded onto the cart and Lucy was forced to the podium. All the men, now knowing her strength, greedily looked at the small girl. In fact, more men had gathered into the small square after hearing the commotion.

"Welcome, _welcome_!" Pug happily greeted to the numerous cloaked figures. "We're just about to begin the bidding of this determined little girl. Anyone care to start?"

A hand shot up in the back, "I bid sixty!"

"I bid eighty!"

"One hundred for the little lady!"

"One hundred twenty."

"One hundred fifty." There was a slight pause as the man who almost bought Annette beamed over his victory. Lucy only stared back with sadden disgust.

"Any more bids?" Pug greedily asked, to which he was met with groans. His shoulders slumped with clear disappointment, but he wasn't about to argue with the largest sum he received all day. A wooden sign was placed in his hands and he wasted no time in draping it over Lucy's head. "Sold!"

Pug quickly hoisted the girl from the rock and shuffled back to fetch the next person. Annette tried to catch Lucy's eye, but the two guards standing on either side of the cart blocked her view. She openly huffed her frustration before turning her eyes towards the next victim. A groan spilled from her throat when she saw Eustace had been picked.

"And now for this… _fine_ specimen." Pug pushed the terrified boy onto the rock podium. "Who'll kick off the bidding?" Not a single word left the lips of the assembled men. Not even a laugh! Annette was so amused by their reaction that for a moment she forgot about the auction entirely and cracked a smile.

However, Pug was not as amused. "Come on now! He may not look like much but, uh," his hand squeezed Eustace's thin arm, "he's strong."

"Yeah, he's strong, all right," a man called from the crowd. Lucy took an excited step forward upon hearing the voice, although Annette didn't understand why. "Smells like the rear end of a Minotaur!"

"That _is _an outrageous lie!" The boy spat at the now laughing crowd. "I won the school hygiene award two years running."

Unfortunately, this only prompted more laughter to be aimed at Eustace.

"Come on, someone make a bid!" An impatient Pug pleaded. Still there were no takers.

_The Mist and Eustace? … Brilliant. _Annette silently sulked. _But at least I won't be alone._

Or so she thought. In the seconds following, a cloaked figure had taken a step towards the podium. The cloth around his face was pulled over more so than the other men of his party, and Annette could swear she saw strange movement being made in the head area.

"I'll take them off your hands," a voice said. Although the man was promising to take Eustace and so leave Annette with the Mist, she couldn't help but sit up straighter because that voice unmistakably belonged to her beloved mouse friend.

~.~.~.~.

The first thing Margaret heard upon emerging onto the roof was enough to make her stumble back into Edmund. "I'll take them _all _off your hands! For Narnia!"

"Is that Reepicheep?" She breathlessly whispered above the proclamations of men from below.

Edmund was too astounded to answer her. Luckily, he didn't have to because a shout rang up from the town square below, "Guards! Guards! Move yourselves!"

All heads craned over the side of the building only to see a battle ensuing. Margaret couldn't contain her smile at the sight, but she did become a bit distracted when Caspian suddenly punched the guard standing beside her. While she gaped at his sudden action, he proceeded to push the guard on her _other_ side off the building.

The pair watched the screaming man fall to the ground, though Margaret turned away before he actually hit the dirt. Her wide bemused eyes and large thrilled smile were quite the contradicting emotions. "Caspian!"

He made to answer her gasp, but resorted to a "Look out!" as the sword of another guard came towards them. Caspian pushed Margaret to safety, allowing for the vicious guard to pursue him down a staircase instead.

Margaret was not too grateful with Caspian's chivalrous act because not only had her back roughly smacked against the stone wall, but an entirely new guard was now coming for her. His weapon glinted in the Sun, but not as brightly as Margaret's irritation. She was finished with the slave trader's treatment towards her and her friends, and was determined to give this man a piece of her mind.

Memories of how to act in combat flooded her as the man charged. By the time his blade was lowered, Margaret was already stepping to the side with her shackled hands raised in the air. The weapon hit the chain between her wrists with such a force that both pieces of metal almost hit her in the face. But she was persistent and stood her ground. With a twist of her hands, she wrapped the chain around the sword and pulled the weapon away from the man. The blade rattled across the rocky floor behind her.

Margaret gloated at the baffled man with a smile, "I've removed your weapon! Now what are you going to do?"

The slave trader was not a dimwitted man. So when he noticed the severe height and muscular difference between himself and the girl, he knew he was at an advantage. He lunged at her, hands outstretched so he could seize the blonde and lock her back in a prison cell. Margaret was quick though and easily ducked down, realization of her disadvantage finally hitting her. The only thing she could even think of doing was, actually, a secret desire of hers.

Standing, she waited for the man's next charge. Except instead of dodging him, she slipped through his hands and punched him squarely in the jaw. The loud _crack _ricocheting through the air tainted Margaret's ears, but nothing could surpass the pain now spreading throughout her hand. She bit her lip to stifle her cries and shook out her limb as though the motion would force the sting away. Unfortunately, it did not.

As she shook her throbbing hand, the other was left unguarded. So when the force of Margaret's punch sent the slave trader over the railing, his frantic hands grabbed onto whatever was open in the hopes of preventing the fall. Except they briefly latched onto Margaret's arm rather than something stable. His hold on her was just long enough to send her toppling over the railing after him.

She screamed as she fell, but her cries were cut short when the manacle chain managed to catch on a protruding brick. Her feet were unable to find any footing though and Margaret realized, to her utmost horror, that she was now stuck several feet above the ground. She was alone, for by now the slave trader had hit the bottom, and didn't even know whether any had seen her disappearance. Panic settled in her bones, making any attempts at calling for help sound like gurgles.

But then she felt a hand latch onto her own and begin to hoist her up. Margaret's other fingers latched onto the mysterious wrist, her grip refusing to lessen until her feet were safely back on the rooftop. Only then did she gaze at her savior. Saying she was surprised by the sight of Lord Bern would be an understatement.

The old man smiled at her astonished expression, "I've still got some strength left in me, Lady Margaret. Even after all these years."

"Well that's just… How did you…" Margaret struggled to find the proper words to express her gratitude. After several started thoughts, she just decided it would be best to give Lord Bern a shortened, to-the-point response. "Thank you."

The Lord's eyes crinkled with happiness.

"Margaret!" Edmund's worried voice called from behind. He was suddenly in her vision, both hands clasping her arms before pulling her into a tight embrace. "Margaret, are you all right?"

The girl accepted his embrace, until she remembered there was still, technically, a battle ensuing and squirmed away. "Yes, I'm fine! Thanks to Lord Bern."

Edmund spun around and nodded his thanks, to which the old man just as happily accepted. At that moment Caspian jogged up the stairs to join his companions. Something jingled in his hands as he approached, and this intrigued Margaret greatly. Apparently he had found a set of keys, although she didn't understand what they were for.

And then she noticed everyone's hands, more specifically their wrists. They were all free from the burden of metal weighing them down, whereas she was not. She glared at the Narnian Kings for neglecting her predicament.

"_Excuse _me," she cried as she thrust her hands out. Caspian had been handing the keys to Edmund, and upon hearing Margaret's voice, both their movements froze. They felt foolish for forgetting about her.

"Oh, right," Edmund sheepishly said as he grabbed the keys and unlocked her chains. "Sorry Margaret." Her only response was a frustrated sigh. That alone was enough to make Caspian avoid her eye.

Once all were free from their chains, the quartet wasted no time in finding the stairs. Their purpose may have been to join the other Narnians, but all Margaret really wanted to do was find Annette.

_And I may not be the only one… _she mischievously thought after glancing at Caspian's anxious face.

~.~.~.~.

Cloaks were removed, swords were drawn, and yet most of the civilians stayed in hiding. Even those sitting beside Annette in the cart cowered as far back as they could. She gazed at them in shock, "Your liberators have come! Narnia is a good, fair country that will free you from this absurd slavery. Will you take arms with them? … Or will you do nothing?"

Apparently the latter would occur because none of them said a word. In fact, they wouldn't even look at Annette for fear of disobeying some higher power. The girl sighed. _If they won't help, then I suppose I'll have to do this by myself._

She stood up, rising high above those guarding the cart. No longer was she the quivering girl who stood upon the auction block; Narnia had given her strength. The guards hardly noticed her rebellion until Annette cuffed the head of one of them. The man fell to the ground, thus alerting the second guard. So when she attempted to kick him away, the man simply ducked down and pulled her other leg out from beneath her. She harshly collapsed onto the cart. The guard raised a hand to strike her, but slumped to the ground before his stroke fell.

One of the prisoners had managed to find a pot beside the cart and smacked it over the guard's head. As the slave trader unconsciously fell to the floor, Annette's eyes trickled to her. A small smile tugged at her lips, "You will fight then?"

"For our freedom, we will do anything," the woman nodded. That was good enough for Annette! She returned the nod and hopped off the cart before sprinting towards the auction podium. The chains were becoming quite the nuisance and the only way to remove them was by finding the key.

Surprisingly enough, the metal treasure Annette desired was lying on a table with the giant book. Her hands fumbled with the key for a moment, but she was successfully able to remove the metal collar. When she attempted to remove the manacles though, she noticed a man running at her from the side. Annette whipped her arm around just in time for the collar to knock the man on the side of the head. She then turned back to her previous task, though she was unable to contain her excitement when she saw a familiar furry face.

"Reepicheep! It's so good to see you!"

"I assure you the feeling is mutual, Lady Annette," the Mouse smiled. He then pointed his tiny blade to her still chained hands. "In need of assistance?"

She eagerly nodded her head before stepping a little closer to her friend. Thankfully it only took a moment for Reepicheep to unlock both her hands. Annette was quick to rub her wrists once they were free. "Thanks Reep! You have no idea how sore my hands were becoming."

"I can only imagine," he replied with a twitch of his nose. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

Before another word could be said, the brave little mouse scurried up Annette's shoulder and leaped onto a passing slave trader. Annette gazed after him with admiration until she remembered where she was and shook off the feeling. This was the middle of a battle! She had to keep moving or else be attacked.

With the combined strength of the Narnians and the uprising citizens, the battle of Narrowhaven was swiftly won over. The slave traders didn't stand much of a chance to begin with because not only were they outnumbered, but the Narnians carried with them two Minotaurs and a very passionate Mouse. Annette did what she could to help as well, but she was constantly distracted by a secretive search for Margaret. She knew her friend was strong, but even then she couldn't help but worry over Margaret's wellbeing.

She looked all over the town square, dodging the few skirmishes remaining from the battle. Her heart pounded in her ears when Margaret remained missing. Annette's hands rapidly swiped through the tips of her hair as worry set in. If Margaret was still trapped in a prison cell, then hours may pass before she next saw her friend. From the outside, the prison appeared enormous… and Margaret could be anywhere!

But as two hands suddenly wrapped around Annette, she knew exactly where her dear friend was. "Margaret! Thank goodness you're all right!"

"I can say the same to you!" The girl smiled. Her grin then turned mischievous when she noticed how close _someone_ was currently standing to them. Someone she already had the privilege of seeing whereas Annette had not. "And you'll never guess who _I _came across in-"

Margaret hadn't noticed Annette's analytical eyes and forgot how concerned she became over pressing matters such as this.

"Margaret, I was so worried about you! Where did they take you? What happened? Are you hurt? Did they sell you? Did they try to send you to the Mist? For a moment I was afraid you had di-"

"Annette." This time it was Margaret's turn to do the interrupting. She clutched the side of her friend's arms and intensely stared right into her eyes. Although she was genuinely touched by Annette's concern, there was something far more important that needed to occur. She briefly looked to her right, an excited smile slowly growing on her face. "… Caspian."

Annette's eyes doubled in size. Although she had longed to see Caspian since first reappearing in Narnia, a small part of her was now afraid to look. How much had he changed? Was he a completely different person now? For a moment Annette just wanted to preserve the memory of the Telmarine boy she once knew, but she had to look at him. She _needed _to see his face. Slowly, she followed Margaret's stare only to blink back in wonder.

There he was. Caspian. Standing a few feet away from her and giving instructions to a bald man. He hadn't noticed her yet, and for that Annette was thankful; she was too busy taking in his new appearance. For one thing, he was young. Older than the boy she remembered, but still youthful all the same. He was taller, more muscular. His hair had grown and there was stubble along his jaw, but even then Annette sensed the warm expression he always held.

"Well don't just stand there!" Margaret laughed at her side. Normally Annette would have been quick to glare at her friend for embarrassing her, but Margaret's loud proclamation had drawn the eyes of numerous people. Caspian included.

At first he didn't register the sight of Annette, his eyes simply passed over her as they looked at Margaret. But they quickly snapped back to her once he realized his mistake. As soon as their eyes connected, Annette's heart leapt straight into her throat. He was actually looking at her, yet all she could do was stare back. Everything was far too surreal for her to process.

"Oh this is rubbish," Margaret grumbled a bit impatiently before giving her friend a good solid push. "We didn't travel to another world just for you to _stare _at him."

Annette stumbled forward from the sudden shove, but straightened herself up and began to walk towards Caspian. Slowly, almost hesitantly. But when Caspian took steps to her, her heart swelled and she simply couldn't contain her anticipation any longer. She sprinted right for him, her heels kicking up dirt as she seemingly flew over the ground. Annette didn't care though. Her fears had completely disappeared.

She ran directly into his arms, a laugh spilling from her lips when Caspian lifted her into the air and spun her around. It reminded her of the movies she and Margaret would sometimes watch back in England, except this was better. This was real. And even then she was having a hard time believing it was.

Caspian's arms wrapped around her for a moment, but similar to Annette, he was having a difficult time grasping her presence. He held her back a little; cupping her face and gazing at her to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him. Even then he wouldn't want her to go. Annette's own hand traveled to his face. Her fingers slowly traveled along his left jaw, down his shoulder, and onto his chest. The beating of his heart drew her in like a magnet. She let its constant rhythm drum through her fingertips before finally meeting his eyes and saying the first thing either of them had said to one another: "You're alive!"

Caspian could only laugh at her, "I would certainly hope so! And I see you are alive as well."

"Your voice," Annette gasped upon discovering another new quality about him. "It's adapted to the accent of Narnia… You sound like me!"

"Really? I hadn't noticed…" He thought about his dialect for a moment before deciding the matter was entirely pointless. Annette was actually here, in Narnia. What difference did it make what he sounded like? "None of that matters though." Caspian smiled and pulled Annette into a tight embrace. His kissed the crown of her head and mumbled into her hair, "I'm just glad you're back… I missed you."

A blush formed on Annette's cheeks when she felt his lips graze her head. "I'm glad to be here."

~.~.~.~.

**Please tell me I wasn't the only one who had that "Reunited" song playing in their head? It's just so fitting xD**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! There's a nifty little box down there for you to type your comments in. You could always, you know, leave a review…**

**DO IT!**

**DO IT FOR MARGARET AND ANNETTE!**

**DO IT FOR CASPIAN AND EDMUND!**

**DO IT FOR NARNIA!**

**Until next time :)**


	5. A Right Time

**Thanks for all of the smashing reviews, lads and lassies. Please sit back and enjoy the next chapter of the story. Always trying to please you. **

**Yours faithfully and loyally,**

**MiStRoStRiNgS**

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

**England**

**1935**

Nights alone were always the hardest. There had been plenty of them shared amongst the girls, but as time tried to be their cure, the hurt of solitude never entirely faded. Margaret and Annette were together. At least they had that much. But without the affectionate kiss on the cheek of a parent, or the tucking of loose hair behind one's ear, solitude never completely left them.

It was Margaret's thirteenth birthday. She hadn't felt like an adult, though everyone kept telling her it was finally the age where she became one. She felt no different than she had the day before. Her mind still drifted off during class. Images of knights and pirates flooded the edges of her textbooks, each line adding up another pound her parents would have to pay for recovery. She could have cared less. That was where she found happiness: in the make-believe. And if she had to pay a fiver for it, then so be it.

"Margaret." Margaret's mind had been elsewhere as she laid on her bed in the darkness. The sound of Annette's voice coming from the floor startled her and she turned beneath her covers to face her friend. Annette was staying the night and though it was far past their bedtime, sleep was not coming easily to either girl "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Margaret muttered. Her stomach was filled with cake they finished off themselves. Her parents were out on business, but they had at least remembered the cake. "You can ask me anything at any time you'd like."

Annette huffed for a moment before finally speaking. "It's just that…" She changed her mind and remained silent for a moment. Margaret knew better than to pester her when she was like this. Whatever she had to say, she would say eventually. "I was just thinking about us and how we're…"

"How we're _what_?"

"How we're _alone_." Something small crept into Annette's voice. It lingered on the last word. Margaret recognized it; hurt. "We're… We're always alone. I thought childhood memories were supposed to be made with your parents. If anyone at school ever had a problem at home, I thought it was so strange. I never realized that it was happening to me."

"Annette, that's not-"

"Happening to _us_," she continued. "We're nothing in our parents eyes. If we are, they're awful at showing it." Her voice softened after the harsh declaration. "What I'm saying is that I've let it blindly pass by for so long. Now I've realized that this isn't what my life should be like. I don't want a childhood full of memories with no one but myself."

"You have me."

Annette smiled against her pillow. Margaret was the sister she never had. In a way, Margaret was even like a parent to her-always looking out and taking care of her-and Annette knew her friend felt the same. "I have you," she repeated.

Margaret wished this conversation hadn't come up on her birthday. Though it seemed selfish, she wanted this day to be perfect. She wanted it to be happy and devoid of all deep and meaningful conversations, unless they were about the frosting on her cake. Her eyes skimmed over the alarm clock on her bedside table. The time read back to her. _1:04 AM_. _"_Oh," she sighed aloud. "My birthday is over." Her wishes were unimportant now. The meaningful conversation times had come.

Annette ignored the sudden comment. "Do you think I'll ever get one?"

"What do you mean?" Margaret's eyes were starting to sag, as if somehow knowing the time had made her even more tired.

"A childhood," Annette declared. "Even though we're supposed to be adults now, what if I never get what was lost? What if I never get to play princess and knights? What if I never find my Prince Charming? Can I continue to imagine animals that talk and trees that move?"

Margaret smiled at the sound of it. She had only wished it were real. Animals that could talk! The idea was such a peculiar notion, but certainly something worth daydreaming on. "I still think about it, and as of today I am officially an adult… and then some."

"You're _always _going to be living in a fantasy, Margaret."

"And there's nothing wrong with that."

"No," Annette sighed. "I suppose you're right. But, I fear it might be too late for me."

Margaret's thin brows came together in her forehead. When she spoke, her voice was genuine. "Annette, it's never too late for anything. Your life isn't split up into different parts. There is no such thing as a childhood, a teenage life, and adulthood. It's just you. You're always you and you can be whomever you choose." Her voice grew softer as the moon rose higher into the night sky. "If you want to tell yourself that you're a princess in your mind, then what's stopping you?"

There was a part of Annette that wanted to believe her friend's words. Truly, she ached for that young girl to come out. But there was nothing. The ground was cold against her forearm, and she wished her mother had been there to wrap her inside of her arms. She was not coming. Annette was alone, and that was something she would have to live with. Alone, but not entirely. There was always Margaret.

There would _always_ be Margaret.

"Well," Annette said finally. "If I'm going to be a princess… You're going to be one with me."

"On that thought, you could never be a princess." Margaret smirked. "You would be the Queen."

~.~.~.~.~.~

Narrowhaven hadn't been the grand welcome the girls had expected, but it reunited them with many friends and therefore it would do. With the defeat of the slave traders, Narrowhaven would be left in safe hands and no more worries would pass between them. As the crowds gathered around the King of Narnia and his faithful loyals, the love for Narnia was not only spreading between the girls, but of the entire island. Things were changing for the better.

"Pretty long day, wouldn't you agree?" Edmund spoke with his eyes carefully set on Margaret. She was like a magnet and he could not resist the pull.

Margaret was too busy waving towards the crowd to reciprocate his stare, but her voice could at least provide an answer. "Pretty long _day_? If you wouldn't have said so, I'd have guessed we'd been here for weeks."

"Not yet," Edmund clarified. "Though weeks might come upon us before we know it. Time in Narnia is terribly confusing."

His joke caused her to finally meet his gaze. Underneath the sun, his dark eyes glazed over her with familiar sparkle of adventure. Though he was covered in dust, her heart seemed to find him everlastingly handsome. "How much time do you think will pass in England before we make it back?" Anxiety lined her syllables.

"Are you worried about your parents?"

"No," she confessed. "I want to make sure that we miss our summer school."

The duo's laughter became buried beneath a distressed call. Urgency was traceable in the citizen's plea. "Your majesty! Your majesty!" All heads turned towards the middle-aged peasant who came rushing into their path. A bald partner of Caspian's made sure there would be no harm brought upon the King. He stopped the pauper from laying a finger on Narnia's King, who was also quickly drawing a sword in defense. Edmund followed suite, his hand gripping the handle tightly.

"Don't," Margaret whispered with a push of his hand. "He's not going to hurt anyone."

Edmund's stare was fierce; the King buried within him coming out. "How do you know the truth of that sentence?"

"I just do." A bump began to grow in her throat. "Trust me."

Margaret watched as her words took over Edmund. His hand fell smoothly from its grasp, but never once did his eyes leave the intruder. Margaret also noticed Annette's fingers squeezing Caspian's' sleeve as the thought of a threat approached her thoughts. Though the unknown man could have been a danger, Margaret could not hide her growing smirk.

"My wife was taken only just this morning," the man explained. Any talk of affection was enough to sway Caspian and his grip on the sword instantly loosened. All guard was brought down and the two began to walk in unison.

Margaret could imagine the thoughts swimming through Caspian's head. Annette had left him. She could have easily been sold off that day without him ever seeing her beautiful face. Helping a man who had lost his wife was a bit more familiar to him that he might have guessed.

Caspian pushed his bald friend aside to put him at ease. "It's alright, Drinian."

"I _beg _you; take me with you," the man implored.

Out of nowhere, a small child tugged at his sleeve. Her beautiful, chocolate eyes looked longingly up at him as tears greeted her skin. "I want to come!" She cried. Margaret sensed their connection. She was his daughter. Well, that and the fact that their dark, curled hair was highly distinguishable.

The father tried unsuccessfully to push her off. "I said _no_, Gael. Stay with your aunt." His shoving finally managed to set him free, but the girl kept on his heels as he spoke to Caspian. "I'm a fine sailor… been on the seas my whole life."

Caspian didn't need another reason besides his wife having gone missing. A sailor was just an added bonus. "Of course." He firmly patted the man's shoulder. "You must."

Caspian and Annette trekked quickly towards the docks, but Margaret couldn't help but freeze her quest. The man was gawking at the handsome King. Not for his title or his charm, but for the honor he just thrust upon him. A chance to sail again. A chance to save his wife. "Thank you, sir," she heard him sigh blissfully.

Gael found her father's side once again. "Daddy!" The tears in her tightened throat were enough to choke up a single word.

Though curious to see what would happen, Margaret was pulled away by a firm hand. Her eyes peeled upwards to see Edmund shaking his head. "You don't have to know _everything _that's going on. Give the girl and her father some space."

_He's right,_ she thought. _It's none of my business. _But when she turned her head and saw the heartbroken child, she couldn't help but wish she were coming with them. Why couldn't she have the opportunity to save her mother? Why couldn't she have the chance to save those she loves? _One day, _Margaret said to herself. _Maybe one day she will. _

Time was of the essence and the boats were waiting for its passengers at the shore. Citizens gathered to applaud their appreciation along the edges of the ramp. Annette could feel her face burning as each palm met its match. Her body pressed itself closer into Caspian's as his body provided comfort from the overwhelming crowd. She felt his gentle fingers brush over her own for just a moment before falling at his hip. Their affection had to be subdued, but it would not disappear.

"My king!" An elderly voice called out. Margaret was shocked to see an energetic Lord Bern heading their way. "My king!" He finally reached the group. In his outstretched hands, a sword stared up at them. Margaret's eyes glittered at the sight of it, despite it's molded exterior. Swords were always beautiful in her eyes and each had an untold story. "This was given to me by your father," he spoke to Caspian. "I hid it safely in a cave all these years."

"That's not a Narnian sword," Edmund declared with confusion. He had been a King of Narnia for many years. Even if a sword was rusted, faded and broken, he knew how to spot a sword from his land.

"It is from your Golden Age," Bern replied. "There are seven of such swords; a gift from Aslan to protect Narnia. Your father entrusted them to us." There was no hesitation as he thrust the sword towards his King. "Here. Take it."

Caspian was much more fearful of the sword. His dark eyes twinkled at the thought of his father holding such a powerful item, but hurt lingered behind them as well. Annette couldn't help but understand how he felt. She could sense his pain from the opposite shore. He was not the only one who had gone through life without a family. Any memory or trace of a parent shone more brightly than a mountain of gold. It also brought on misery as dark as night.

"And may it protect you." Lord Bern's voice was strong, but he knew of Caspian's hesitation. To put him at ease, his wrinkled face focused on Annette. "And may it protect those you love."

Caspian's head turned slightly over his shoulder. "Those I love," he mumbled. Never once did his eyes leave Annette. Their dark stares were both fixated on each other; a desire they had longed for against the moon of many months. When he finally broke their connection, taking the sword became much easier. He would use it to protect himself. He would use it to protect his real family. "Thank you, my lord." Caspian's voice was soft with gratefulness. "And we shall find your lost citizens." Annette couldn't help but grin. He was no longer a prince. He was the noblest of Kings.

The gathered crowd began to applause with the acceptance of this treasure. The sight of a King and his sword was perhaps the most inspiring thing they had witnessed in years. Both Margaret and Annette couldn't contain their enthusiasm. The Narnia they loved was sinking back into their veins. The smell of it. The cheers. The heroes and the hope. It was all around them.

Before entering the smaller ships, Caspian had one last mission. His arm outstretched to stop the path of Edmund and Margaret. After a moment, the sword was suddenly thrust into Edmund's hands. "Edmund," Caspian sighed. He did not need to say another word. Edmund was to take care of the sword, as it was from the Golden Age. Margaret knew he would worship it. "No, wait." Caspian's exclamation surprised them both. With a quickly pluck of his fingers, the sword was taken to Edmund and instead passed to Margaret. Her eyes grew in horror as her shaky hands nearly dropped the weapon. "I want you to share it. Both of you deserve my gratitude." He paused before cracking a smile towards Margaret. "I never thanked you properly. You saved Annette. You never once looked badly upon her decision to care for me and cannot know how grateful that makes me. She cherishes you more than you realize, and for that, your approval of me is the one I desire most."

"_Mine_?" 'Shocked the bone' finally made sense. Margaret's whole body was frozen like the heat of the city: lingering and suspended. "I don't understand."

"Perhaps you will in time." He patted her tattered blazer. "I will prove myself to you." His eyes glanced towards the boat, where Annette was helping some of the wounded crew to climb inside. Her eyes caught Caspian's for a moment, but she was too preoccupied with the others to stop her work. A quick smile was all she could manage to give, not understanding the power of the situation. "I will prove myself to her."

Margaret could see it deep within him. Was it love? There seemed to be no other word for it. If it wasn't there yet, it was coming. Annette wasn't back for Reepicheep or Aslan. She was there for him. And he loved being near here once again. It was washing over him like the waves on his ship, unstoppable and uplifting. Something about her held him together. Something about her made him strong.

"I know you will," Margaret whispered as her fingers clutched the hilt of her sword. His promise wasn't one-sided. She would have to prove herself to him. "And I hope you approve of me as well."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The _Dawn Treader _was so glorious and massive that it became almost like a new friend in the girl's lives. When the night sky took over after a long day and the sun stretched into rays of purple and orange, being on that ship offered them a view of Narnia they had never imagined.

Tasks were given, despite the wearisome battle just hours before. Annette found comfort in dressing the cuts of wounded men. Caspian would trickle by her side as time passed, each visit lasting longer than the previous one. Her words would be hushed and limited in the midst of her deep concentration, but Caspian did not notice nor did he care. Looking upon her was satisfying enough. His chest heaved at the sight of her as his struggle for air swayed his kingly exterior. For such a great warrior, he certainly wasn't good at hiding his weaknesses.

Margaret eyed them carefully from her stance upon the poop deck. She was assisting the boatswain with the upkeep of rigging as much as she could. Burns stung her fingers as she pulled and loosened the ropes, but pirates had always been a fancy of hers and this was as close as she could get. The boatswain saw drowsiness entering her bones and set her free as the sun reached the horizon. Most of the men were leaving the deck by the time she was set free from her volunteering. Being useful thrilled her. Working aboard a ship was _much_ better than chemistry class and far more practical. _Why don't they teach this in secondary school? _

"You both must be weary." Margaret could hear Caspian speaking to Annette as she continued washing blood from tattered rags. "Sleep would do us all some good, though I fear your clothes are not of suitable warmth. The nights get cold." He was right. Their knee-high socks and short skirts were certainly not going to protect them from anything. "That is why I will give you some of my clothes."

"Oh no," Annette stuttered. "We couldn't possibly-"

"I insist. Knowing you were sleeping in the cold would keep me awake." Like instinct, his hand reached out to tuck a fallen curl behind her ear. She barely flinched. Margaret wondered if she was even breathing. "Let me go and fetch some heavier garments. Don't go anywhere." He smiled at her over his shoulder. "Please." Caspian was soon out of sight and the girls were left together on the main deck.

Margaret rushed down beside her with her eyes full of laughter. "Well he's certainly not tired of you, is he?"

"I know." Her eyes stared past Margaret as she whispered. "It's all very frustrating."

"_Frustrating_? I'm not sure if you're choosing the right adjectives. Maybe you should have gone to English class over the summer and not-"

"Margaret, you don't _understand_." Annette's arm tore away from Margaret with an unrecognizable force. "He's come back to me. He is more wonderful than ever, and I have missed him dearly." Her lip quivered the more she spoke though her tears, if they were boiling somewhere within, did not appear. "It is killing me."

"Annette, I don't understand… This isn't supposed to be a bad thing. This is supposed to be what you wanted." Her face twisted in irritation. "What we've both wanted for you."

Weakly, Annette used her palms to hide her eyes. They were damp when she pulled them away. "I'll have to make a decision again, Margaret. This is not easy for me. The last time nearly tore me in two."

Why hadn't Margaret thought of it? Coming back a second time would not make things simpler, but far more difficult. Her love for Caspian would grow and then she would have to leave him. Or she would leave Margaret. Either way, it would kill her. "We'll go through it together," Margaret encouraged. Their hands gripped each other's in comfort. "Whatever happens, I will be by your side. But right now, there is a man in there who cannot set his eyes upon anything but you. His affection for you is surpassing any worries or fears that you might have. Do not miss this chance. Do not lose him."

Annette's change of heart became physical. A smile broke out across her face as the tears sunk straight back into her skin. "You always know just what to say."

Before Margaret could toss in a witty response, Caspian made his way back on deck. His hands flooded with fabrics of all sized and colors. "I'm not sure what women like to wear. I thought I would bring some of my fitted clothing, that way you might have a better chance of them not hanging loosely from your limbs."

"Well, that's very kind of you!" Margaret snatched a green vest from the top. "If you've got any boots, they would be perfectly appreciated."

"Already in your sleeping quarters beside the bed."

Margaret tossed the King a playful wink. "Well, well, well! You're getting to know me better and better, my liege." With another playful smirk, Margaret left the two alone. Besides, she had her own special someone to bid goodnight to.

But the evening was getting very cold, and Annette could feel herself shivering. She could not stay outside for much longer. "Thank you." Her fingers snatched whatever looked warmest. "You cannot understand all that you've done for us."

"I can," Caspian smiled down at her. "You have had the same affect over me."

Annette's brows came together in her forehead. "I fear I have done nothing for you."

Caspian's smile broke. Even his gaze faltered to the wooden planks beneath his boots. Streaks of sand spread out between the couple, their lines connecting them in some symbolic fashion. "Then you are blind," Caspian said softly. "If you truly believe your words, you are blind of my affection."

The trepidation in his eyes was the last thing she wanted. Since they had found one another, their fears of being torn apart came flooding back with the weight of the ocean. Things should not have been that way. They were supposed to be thrilled and wrapped up in the idea of being together again. Annette would do her part to set things straight. With a few small steps, the space between them grew limited. Caspian's head instantly rose at her movement. Shocked by her close proximity and the overwhelming glow of the sunlight against her hair, a weak breath escaped his lips. "Let us accept that we have been good to the other." Annette did not need to speak loudly for him to hear.

Caspian's nod was hardly noticeable. Annette would have missed the gesture, had she not been staring deeply into his gaze. All around him, a halo of orange and yellow danced. "And I will continue to do so," Caspian promised. "I will continue to be noble for you. Because all you deserve is good, Annette. That is all I have ever wanted for you."

Words were not enough. Annette knew they could not be so. Rising on her tiptoes, her lips planted a soft kiss amongst his cheek. They rested there for a moment, as if whispering a silent message but within another moment, she had disappeared. Caspian wondered if he would ever catch his breath.

Whether he would sleep that night with the feeling of her lips still upon him… Well, that was a different question.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Margaret had never walked so quietly in her life, as if she were a ballerina behind the curtains. The entire bottom deck was as silent as the grave as the men tried to sleep against the rocking waves. One man would certainly be awake. Edmund hardly ever slept, and if he did it was during the day to catch up for his dreary night. It was one of his few flaws and even then Margaret liked to hold him as he prayed for dreams to come. There had been nights back home where they slept beneath the stars, or where he found his way into her room. They would talk for hours until Margaret could no longer keep her eyes open, while he would go off to read or eat. She would wake up and he was there, patiently waiting for her like a friend at the station.

Now it was her turn to make sure that he was safe. Her blonde head peeked around the corner where the men were tumbling into their dreams. Many of them were already asleep, save for two. The first one to notice her was not the one she was hoping for.

"_You _again?" Eustace's scoff could have woken up Lucy, who was sleeping soundly in the captain's cabins upstairs. Margaret encouraged his silence with a swift press of her finger onto her lips. "Oh, what have you come down here for?" He paused momentarily, a crude idea crossing his mind. "Are you a _pervert _or something? You know, it really wouldn't surprise me if-"

"Oh, Eustace, please stop talking for once in your miserable life." Edmund's gruff voice came ascended from the back of the room. He climbed down from his hammock and made his way towards Margaret, but not without sending a firm shove to his cousin's cot.

"Watch it!" Eustace shouted as the couple hurried down the corridor. "I was writing, you know!"

Margaret couldn't help but laugh as they hurried down the hallway. Edmund snickered alongside as usual. It wasn't long for his attention to sidetrack, and his hands snatched her arms firmly when they were out of ears' reach. There was a room of supplies on their right and weaponry on their left. Edmund led her into the storage space, closing the door quietly behind them.

"Why have you come down here?" He asked, his face hardly visible in the darkened room. Margaret's only source of light was a bit of moonlight dribbling in from the cracks of the floorboards. "Isn't it past your bed time?"

"I couldn't go without wishing you a good dream."

Edmund smirked, taking her soft hand in his. For a moment, his fingers brushed over them with carefulness, but it changed into a tight grasp of affection. "You know I hardly sleep."

"Perhaps you will tonight," she mumbled with a distant tone. Every time he touched her, even if it was just a brush of her hair or a squeeze of her hand, her stature weakened. "You're in Narnia, after all. Magical things happen here."

"I met you," Edmund smiled. "I'm not sure how I could get much luckier."

Margaret often laughed off his corny sentiments, but this time was different. She was so pleased to be alongside him. Not just as a student or a girlfriend, but as a Lady of Narnia. As a fellow soldier, traveller, and leader. He had given her so much strength in the past. Her thoughts had been twisted and lifeless upon her first visit to Narnia, but he helped change that. She owed him more than he could understand. "You have given me so much, Edmund."

Edmund quickly pulled her into him by her wrists, forcing her arms around his waist. Her head hit his chest softly, where his familiar heartbeat trickled into her ears. "You're supposed to tell me that I'm stupid or too romantic," Edmund muttered against the top of her head. "You're not supposed to actually like my flattery."

Margaret couldn't help but smile. Their relationship might have been a bit abnormal, but she wouldn't ask for any other. Edmund was too caught up in his own thoughts for Margaret to even notice his fluster. "Next time I'll make sure to insult you," she muttered.

"Margaret," Edmund said quickly. "I've known you for over a year now." Her brow rose in curiosity. _Why the sudden facts?_ "This has never happened to me before…" His voice swelled up in his throat like he was going to vomit. "It's just that I'm… Well, I can't explain it." His hands on her arms suddenly felt warmer. His heartbeat raced against her skull. "But I think I'm…"

That.

He was going to say _that_.

Margaret could feel the nerves turning into something else inside her stomach. She could feel it rushing straight to her heart, her head, her throat. He couldn't be saying the words. The words she had been feeling. The words that had almost slipped off her tongue numerous times back home. Those damn words.

"Never mind," Edmund's voice broke the pounding heart that pumped within her. "I just don't want to keep you awake. You must be tired." His voice shook with fear of the unspoken. Margaret's whole body matched his own quivering, but Edmund didn't seem to notice. Or if he did, he did not care to mend it. With all costs, he avoided her gaze. "You should get some sleep."

"Edmund, wait-"

"Goodnight, my sweetheart."

Edmund left the door open for her, but did not bother to walk her upstairs. The room suddenly felt colder without his arms and the moonlight became more frightening than beautiful. Was he going to tell her? Did he even feel the same? The thought had passed her mind many times, but love was never something she had known. Love for a man was alien to her. How could she know if what she was feeling was true?

Imagining her life without him was like a sin. The image of her without him felt like a snake beneath her skin, draining her life source and making her weak. And every day was better if she knew she was seeing him. Whether there was snow, rain or lightning in the sky, if he was there she was secure. Catching his glimpse across the station or in the park nearly melted her heart. No one knew the adventures they had witnessed. No one understood the bond they had formed and the secrets they had shared.

Margaret found comfort on a nearby rum barrel. The wood was somehow softer than Edmund's arms had been, but the day had been long and hard and taking a seat was the closest thing to heaven. But his broken expression would not leave her head. The image of his fear taunted her. Why did it have to be so alarming? With a grumble inside her hands, Margaret could not allow herself to lie any longer. If she couldn't admit it to him, she could at least grant herself a sigh of relief.

"Edmund Pevensie," she whispered into the empty darkness. "I am in love with you."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Both of the girls had been lost in their thoughts when they made their way into Drinian's cabin. The room had been silent. Margaret couldn't even remember if a 'good night' was uttered. By the next morning, things were almost back to normal. The sound of the early morning crew awoke the girls, though without a clock, it was difficult to say how long they had slept.

Drinian had given up his cabin for the girl's use the day before. Caspian was shocked by this act of kindness from a man who was often so distant and serious. It was enough of a struggle for him to give up his own quarters to Lucy. Who could blame him? Going from a soft bed to a knitted hammock wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do. However, it was done without a stir thanks to Drinian, and the girls were entirely grateful to the honorable sailor.

Sleeping on a bed was better than Turkish delight after a night on the cell floors. No one had bothered to wake them, though it was nearly midday. The crew must have known of their troubles and decided that sleep was the only cure.

How right they were.

"Annette!" Margaret shoved her friend's shoulder that morning. A long groan flew from the brunette's mouth as she slammed the pillow atop her head. "Get up! You can't sleep forever."

"No, but I can sleep for five more minutes."

"You shouldn't," she sighed. "There's a lot that needs to be done on the ship and we're obviously not being very helpful." Annette did not bother grunting this time. "Considering that we're Ladies of Narnia and are idly watching them save our country-"

"Ladies of Narnia is barely even a real title," Annette grumbled. "We should have at least been Duchesses… or something."

Margaret scoffed in disgust. "Are you taking the mick out of the honor Aslan gave us?"

The mere mention of the great cat was enough for Annette to sit upright. Her expression became shameful when the sun fell upon it and Margaret was quick to send the girl a hug. "You're right," Annette confessed with Margaret's arms still around her. "I shouldn't be saying such things. I'm just exhausted."

"We all are, I promise. However, we still have much more sea to travel."

"And six more Lords to find."

Margaret sat back in surprise. "How did you know about the mission anyway?" No one had told her so far, and with her being held up in a different cell, it was hard to understand how she got the information.

"Caspian told me when we were last in Narnia. He mentioned the idea once. Saving seven lords. Travelling across the open waters. When he told me, I didn't think much of it at the time, but it's what brought up together again." The corners of her lips curled upwards. "Who would have thought?"

"Well," Margaret chortled. "Certainly not you."

It was good that Margaret didn't have to explain the situation. She almost definitely would have forgotten key details and names. Therefore, without the need for a story, both girls got ready for a new day. Though they weren't sure of how much longer it would take to reach their second destination, that didn't seem to matter. The water was as clear as Margaret's eyes and the sun as warming as Aslan's breath. The two girls took it all in with a deep sigh as they stepped into the open air.

"Good morning, you two!" Edmund shouted from one of the shrouds. "About time you woke up."

"We've only just spent the night in a cell." Margaret's brow rose with a warning. "Give us a break, will you?"

Edmund flashed her a cheeky wink and went back to his business. Margaret could feel her heart tightening in her chest. Last night hadn't gone like she had wanted it, but the importance of it was not forgotten. She now knew her love for him. And yet, what of his own affections? Did he feel the same? As much as Margaret wanted to confess her feelings, her tongue was sharply held. There was a right time and place for everything.

Annette made her way towards the poop deck where Caspian and Drinian charted the voyage through navigation papers. Though she doubted her amount of usefulness, being near Caspian was the only thing that preoccupied her mind.

Margaret was then left alone without a word or a farewell. Her eyes darted about the bustling ship where men and other creatures tightened some ropes, cleaned the floorboards and managed to get a lot of things done that made no sense to her. Wondering how she could be of use, something else caught her attention. The little snake; Eustace. He was barricading himself behind a wall of barrels and bushels, scribbling away in that book of his.

"Such a sad child." Margaret's sigh was genuine. "He'll probably never have friends."

Edmund had finally come down from the shrouds and was peeling away at her sword. She had passed it off to him when they went on the ship, confessing she hadn't the slightest idea of how to clean it. He gratefully took it off her hands, and she didn't want to interrupt his work. Lucy was busy sewing up new clothes. That also took a lot of concentration.

Eustace seemed to be the only option.

But just as she began to make her way over to him, a seagull took her spot on the barrel she was approaching. Eustace eyed the creature quizzically before opening his mouth. "In England, we have mousetraps and that sort of thing." At first Margaret thought he was speaking to her, but his eyes never once looked up. The boy's attention was entirely on the gull. "Speaking of food, you don't know where I could get any, do you?"

_Is he…?_

"Uhm, why you talkin' to that bird?" A deep voice asked the same question playing on Margaret's mind. She glanced towards the stairs to find a large Minotaur snickering down at the new crewmember.

Eustace's face scrunched in confusion. "I just naturally assumed he could-"

A cackle erupted from the Minotaur. The sound of it shook the entire staircase and even the floor beneath him. The deep chuckling was infectious, and though Margaret didn't want to make the situation worse, she couldn't help but laugh alongside him. "He's talkin' to birds!" The creature nudged his sailor friend beside him, who nodded in agreement.

"He's mad as a loon, that one!"

"Yeah!" The Minotaur slapped his friend on the back, the force overpowering the small human. The man went flying into the rail with a wince, causing Margaret to laugh even harder. Her humor knew no bounds.

Eustace had enough of the mockery. He furiously waved his hands towards the bird, which flapped away in fright. "Shoo!" He encouraged. "Go on! Get off!" Margaret couldn't help but sneer. Watching him getting ridiculed was as sweet of revenge as she could imagine. Her mocking eyes were like dangerous rays burrowing into his skin. There was no escaping her. "What are you looking at?" His sharp tongue questioned.

"A strange young boy who doesn't help anyone but himself… and speaks to birds."

"Every other animal speaks," he snapped. "Why shouldn't seagulls? And as for helping with the ship, why should I have to? I was drug here against my will."

Though he was irritating, Margaret knew there was something within him. It may have been far away, but it wasn't unreachable. "No, I don't think you were brought here without a purpose." Eustace looked appalled by her conclusion. "You see, I've come to realize that Narnia doesn't take anyone without a good reason. She brings in those who will be of use."

"I'm not here to help your fictional Narnia." He made sure that his shove past her would leave a bruise. His journal cut her arm without regret. "You're all wrong about everything. I'm going to wake up soon and my idiotic cousins can go and play make-believe in the insane asylum back in England. You and your love-sick friend can tag along with them."

If he was trying to be intimidating, his short stature and dog-like face were destroying the attempt. Margaret was not offended when he walked off with his cold words. In fact, her own question was sinking deeper into her thoughts. Why had she not realized it before? Eustace wouldn't have been brought into Narnia for any empty reason. It was the same situation as Annette and her own. The young boy had more in him than he realized, but he needed someone to guide the expedition for it.

Did anyone else wonder? Did anyone else care? Margaret doubted it, judging by the limited amount of eyes directed towards him as he stomped back down to the sleeping quarters. No one cared about Eustace Scrubb.

Margaret bit down on her bottom lip when he finally disappeared from sight. A hopeful thought trickled in her head.

_Maybe it's time that somebody did._

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**You'd better leave a review. **

**Or I'll have your head.**

**I've killed bugs before, so wounding humans shouldn't prove to be that difficult.**

**It doesn't matter! Just leave a review and we don't have to worry about such things.**

**Stupid Narnians.**

**-Eustace S. **


	6. A Foolish Thought

**EUSTACE GET OUT OF HERE! My goodness, you are such a nuisance right now. I can't wait for future Eustace to show up.**

**Lovely readers of this story! I'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting for such a long time. School crashed down hard on my life and I was stuck indoors with multiple essays, exams, presentations, and such. So it was with a heavy heart that I pushed my entire account back a month. MistroStrings was in a similar state of chaos too. Ugh school: so important and yet such a setback. Am I right? But oh boy is this chapter a long one! I hope you all will forgive me for such a long break then :3**

**By the way, someone asked for the ages of Margaret and Annette. Well, Annette is older. In **_**Prince Caspian**_**, she was the same age as Caspian and Peter while Margaret was the same age as Edmund. Now In **_**Voyage of the Dawn Treader**_**, everyone has aged one year with the exception of Caspian, who has aged three. So essentially Margaret and Edmund are still the same age but Caspian is now two years older than Annette (who is still older than Margaret). Sorry if my explanation sounds confusing. The actual movie ages were never mentioned.**

**And now I leave you with a promise. Although life may get hectic in the lives of MistroStrings and MisticLight, we ****will**** follow this story through to the end. All of you ****will**** get an ending to this adventure no matter what. So even if there is a minor setback, there will ****always**** be an update in the works (with the exception of the completion of this story because, well, it'll be completed). We promise.**

**~MisticLight**

~.~.~.~.

Annette hardly made a sound as she strode up the steps leading to the poop deck. Despite not wanting to get out of bed only minutes before, her mind was completely blissful. The sun was bright, the wind freely blew through her hair and around her dark red shirt, the air smelled faintly of salt, and she was at sea. Vague memories of sailing with her family and Margaret briefly flashed across her mind, allowing for a smile to tug at her lips. She hadn't realized how much she missed the sea until its waves welcomed her once more.

The fact that these waters belonged to Narnia and the ship happened to carry both Margaret _and_ Caspian was simply an additional benefit.

Caspian and Drinian both acknowledged Annette with a simple nod, plus a soft smile from the former, when she finally made her appearance beside the King. He and the Captain were focusing on a large parchment held between them, so Annette knew it would be wise to keep her mouth shut. All she really wanted was to spend as much time with Caspian as possible in case she was unexpectedly pulled from Narnia. But if the men needed to concentrate, she didn't want her comments to become a distraction. So she silently stood beside Caspian, allowing her eyes to explore the paper instead of her voice to beg for answers.

It was a map similar to the one she remembered from the library in the Telmarine castle. This map was far larger and more elaborate though. The sea was just as blank, but landscapes were properly displayed and more labels were offered. Thus Annette discovered the body of water the _Dawn Treader_ was currently on was called "The Great Eastern Ocean"—though perhaps she would have known that had she spent even a few minutes researching Narnia's geography before leaving.

_Useful information though,_ she decided with a satisfied nod before lifting her eyes to the men. Though they spoke in low voices, they seemed not to care whether she—or anyone for that matter—listened in or not.

"How far are you willing to go into these uncharted waters before turning around?" Drinian asked with a lift of his head.

Caspian took a deep breath and straightened himself up as though the air made him taller. "I plan on sailing this vessel until she no longer can. We must find the Seven Lords and put a stop to the Mist. Surely you above all others know how important this is."

The two men stared at one another with such serious expressions that Annette feared a duel would soon commence. It was only when the Captain's eyes met Annette's that a slight smile began to stretch across his face. Instantaneously Caspian's laughter filled the air and he lightly clapped his older friend on the back. Annette simply stared on in confusion over the sudden change of moods.

"I was only testing you, your Majesty."

"And have I passed again?" Caspian continued to chuckle before glancing at Annette. Upon seeing her puzzled face, he leaned closer towards her to better elaborate: "Drinian has been asking me these silly yet important questions since we first left Narnia's shores."

"Though I'd been thinking them since you first deemed me Captain of the _Dawn Treader_. It's only natural of one to wonder such things when the King decides to take a long voyage only three years after being crowned. And don't worry, your Majesty, you have passed," Drinian lightly added. Although this was the happiest Annette had seen the Captain, it was only a handful of words that made her eyes widen.

"Three years? Is that how long it's been?" She was relieved when the man answered her with a nod. _It hasn't been very long at all! _But her relief quickly burned into embarrassment upon her cheeks and she had to look away. _That's how long I suggested Caspian wait when he first told me of the expedition._

As if sensing the girl's thoughts, Caspian tentatively cleared his throat, "And how long has it been in your England?"

"Only one year!" She hastily reassured, wiping away her embarrassment with a smile. "A single uneventful year full of studying… and time with the Pevensies and Margaret of course. They were a delight! Though nothing quite compares with our Narnian adventures."

"I can't quite say the past three years in Narnia have been as dull," Caspian continued with an apologetic smirk.

Annette giggled at his reaction, not understanding why he would feel sorry for having a better time than she. He was a King here, after all, whereas she lived the life of an average English citizen. "I find it hard to believe any day in Narnia would be less than exciting. What did you do?"

Caspian's eyes brightened upon hearing her question. Since she was still unaware of what transpired throughout the past three Narnian years, this gave Caspian plenty of room to exaggerate his tales. He wasted no time in doing so either. The first few stories were those of gaining alliances, creating a private council, knighting officers, and spreading equality amongst all races and beings. A bit formal, but Annette was intrigued nonetheless. This then spun into the war with the Giants of the North. He fascinated her with the bravery of the Narnians and himself, though Drinian and his side comments made sure Caspian kept his boasting to a minimum. Caspian's words would catch in his throat whenever Drinian did so, though he easily resumed once Annette's calming laughter filled his ears. After explaining the surrendering of the Giants, Caspian moved on to the defeat of the Calormen armies at the Great Desert. There was little Drinian could say to counter the King's pride this time because Caspian truly had shown his valor and leadership against the Calormen forces. He decided to let Caspian have Annette's admiration, though the King did not need such tales in order to attain it.

"With Narnia now fully reestablished and peace across the entire country, I saw to it that the _Dawn Treader_—the finest vessel in Narnian history—be built and set sail to find the Seven Lost Lords. I appointed Trumpkin as Regent in my absence," Caspian concluded with a pleased sigh and a wide grin. Annette noticed Drinian slowly shake his head before taking a step back to observe the crew.

"All of that within three years of becoming King? That's quite impressive, Caspian. Definitely more so than simply graduating," she chuckled with a shake of her head. "And now we're heading into unknown territory. Do you have any idea what lies in store for us?"

"None besides the thrill of adventure," he said while rolling the map up. "Drinian likes to say there are sea serpents, but I don't believe such tall tales. Edmund seemed interested by them though."

"Well don't tell Margaret about them either! She'll become just as fascinated."

"My lips are sealed," Caspian replied with a wink before straightening up again. "Tavros!"

Seconds after his call, a large Minotaur appeared. Annette recognized him from the Lone Islands, for he had proven to be quite an advantage for the Narnians against the slave traders. It took all her might not to gape at the powerful creature, and even then she failed. The dark haired Minotaur briefly glanced at her awestruck face, but kept his eyes well trained on his superior. Caspian, however, saw the exchange and was quick to make introductions: "Tavros, may I present to you Lady Annette. And Annette, this is Tavros, first mate of the _Dawn Treader_."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Annette said. Not knowing what else to do, she offered the Minotaur a curtsy.

He appeared amused by the girl's actions, though he said nothing of them. Instead he bowed in return. "I remember seeing you and your Margaret friend during the revolution." Annette blinked up at him, unable to place his face within her memory. The Minotaur merely laughed at her lost expression, "You probably don't recognize me. I've gotten much stronger since then." To further prove his point, Tavros began to flex his large arms.

"That's enough, Tavros," Caspian, despite his chuckles, quickly said so the Minotaur would stop his foolish behavior. Annette was unable to stop her laughter like Caspian mostly had, and Tavros was quite proud of that. He smiled down at her with his hands firmly placed upon his hips. Caspian had to shove the map at him just so he'd stop puffing out his chest. "Please take this back to the map room and place it on my desk. Then you may go about your usual business."

"I'll see that it's done, your Majesty," he replied with a smug smile before taking the map and disappearing through one of the doors.

Annette happily watched the Minotaur leave, a few giggles still spilling from her lips, "Well he certainly is quite the character."

"Very much so, but he is also very loyal and a fierce warrior." Caspian respectfully smiled after his friend and first mate for a moment before shaking his head clear. "Now," he exclaimed before holding his arm out towards Annette, "would you like to have a tour of the _Dawn Treader_?"

"I would love to have one," she chirped as she looped her hand around Caspian's tan-colored sleeve. She was about to take a step forward when a sudden thought crossed her mind: "Don't you have some sort of kingly responsibility to do?"

He snickered. "Yes, and I have been avoiding them for days now."

"Caspian! Despite now being King, you're still a child at heart," Annette teased.

"One never does grow up. It is simply maturity that sets in."

Caspian pretended to wistfully stare out across the ocean. So Annette nudged his shoulder as laughter once more consumed her. "You should probably finish these tasks of yours though. I would hate to burden you by further stalling your duties."

"Annette, you would _never _be a burden to me." The humor in his voice was suddenly gone as his eyes shifted from the water to the girl beside him. Although their conversation had been light, Caspian knew this was a much more serious matter. Even if Annette was jesting that she was a burden, the thought had still crossed her mind. He didn't want her to feel that way. She needed to know her presence would always be welcomed, no matter what the circumstance.

Intensity lingered in his eyes, making Annette tense up under his gaze. She hadn't expected him to take her words so seriously, even though they did echo the fear she held in her heart. A mixture of both guilt and happiness rose in her chest. She didn't mean to cause such a reaction from Caspian, and yet she was glad for it all the same. It was proof of how deeply he still cared for her.

Caspian's abrupt sternness disappeared in the blink of an eye and a lift of his lips. "These tasks of mine are small and overall are of little importance. Besides, showing you around this ship _is _one of my duties as it would be most beneficial if you knew where everything was."

Annette was quiet for a moment. She was debating on whether or not to allow Caspian to ignore his responsibilities for a little while longer. It didn't matter that she was one or the other tasks were small, he had a duty to uphold. Narnia needed him, right?

She looked up to him briefly, his grin easily making one appear on her face. Within his eyes lied her answer. _Well I need him too._

"Oh very well, Caspian," she finally said, placing her free hand over his forearm. "Lead on!"

And with a soft pull of her elbow, Caspian led Annette back down towards the main deck.

~.~.~.~.

Although the day was beautiful and the Sun warmed her skin, Margaret was not happy. What mostly irritated her was that she couldn't even figure out _why _she was so upset. For a long while she blamed Eustace and his wrath of a paper cut. Her arm stung whenever her fingers fluttered over the scrape, causing a glare to form on her face. A flash of bitterness towards the boy would pierce her heart every time she harshly stared at the floorboards. Eustace Scrubb had been nothing but rude to her since she first met him. He most definitely deserved her spite.

However, deep down Margaret knew he was only the cause of a minor wound. There was no sense in blaming her unhappiness on him. He was probably only cruel because no one really cared about him. Everyone deemed him a nuisance, which he certainly was but that was beside the point. Margaret had already decided she, no matter how painful it may be, would be the first person aboard the ship to offer the boy sympathy. With her current state of mind though, she decided it would be best not to search for him.

_He's probably still angry with me anyway. With his temper, I'm sure very little progress would be made, _she thought to herself with a sigh. She was sitting on a crate stacked against the starboard railing. Across the ship from her sat Edmund, who was still chipping away at her sword. She heaved another sigh as she stared at him, admiring his concentration and willingness to help her yet feeling remorse all the same.

She didn't understand why looking at Edmund filled her with guilt. She _loved _him and had no fear admitting it to herself—though telling him was another story entirely. So why was she feeling so down? Shouldn't she be floating above the clouds with a heavenly song in her heart? Why couldn't everything be as straight forward as one of her fantasy books?

_Because this is reality, where a happy ending has yet to be determined. _But was this truly reality? She was in Narnia. The land was obviously real, but even then it held a fairytale essence. There were mythical creatures and talking animals, monarchs of a time before her and a powerful lion. If a "happy ending" was in her future, then surely she would know about it here.

Still there was a lingering sensation of doubt, which ultimately consumed what little hope she had gathered. Margaret desperately wished to talk this out with someone, preferably Annette, but how could she when she herself didn't understand what was wrong? _Maybe Annette could figure something out though, _Margaret mentally debated with her eyes still fixated on Edmund. She felt her chest tighten when he proudly held up what he'd cleaned off so far. The sharp tip glinted in the sunlight, though the handle lacked such luster. He was nearly finished, but even then there was quite a bit of work that had to be done. When he smirked, Margaret's sorrow rose up inside her again, bringing along her desire to speak with Annette. _Unfortunately she's run off to be with Caspian. They could be anywhere by now!_

"Margaret?"

_Oh. There she is._

She turned to her left after hearing Annette's call, finding her friend's arm laced around Caspian's. The couple both greeted her with a genial smile as they strode towards her. Margaret mimicked the facial expression, though hers lacked such warmth.

Annette eyed her friend's strange response, but said nothing. She could tell something was wrong with Margaret, but after a quick glimpse at Caspian's clueless face, decided to address the issue later when they were in a more private setting. Until then, Annette would just have to find ways to cheer her friend up.

"Caspian is showing me around the ship." She offered Margaret her right arm, "Would you care to join us?"

Margaret's brows rose at Annette's gesture. Of course she wanted to go! It would be a distraction from her confusing feelings and allow her to learn about the vessel. At the same time, though, she felt bad. _Annette and Caspian have been separated for such a long time. Wouldn't they like to be alone together?_ "Are you sure you _want _me to come? Because I don't want to intrude…"

"Nonsense! Of course we want you to come!" Annette exclaimed, nearly cutting off her friend. She enforced her words by extending her arm further. Margaret, however, remained unconvinced. Her eyes lingered upon the outstretched arm before drifting towards Caspian's face. She was surprised to find him looking nearly as happy as Annette.

When Caspian noticed her eyes on him, he agreed with Annette by nodding his head. "Why would you think you're intruding? It's merely a tour of the ship, which you may find useful in case we get attacked by sea serpents."

"Sea serpents?" Margaret excitedly inquired while raising an eyebrow and flashing a smile.

At that same moment Annette temporarily retracted her hand to better lightly hit Caspian across the chest. He laughed at her fake glare and exclamation of: "Caspian!" When his chortles refused to die down, Annette shook her head and turned her attentions back to Margaret. "Don't listen to him. He's only trying to be funny." She briefly sent another glare his way, but the smile on her lips betrayed her. "Nonetheless, are you coming with us or not?"

"Well…" Margaret humorously replied as she stood, "so long as there's going to be sea serpents, I might as well."

"Good," Annette gladly stated as she looped her arm around Margaret's. Words could not describe how happy she quickly became knowing she was in Narnia with her arms linked within both her friends'. "Caspian has already showed me the forecastle at the bow of the ship, where the stars are mapped, and explained how nearly this entire ship is made of apple wood. Apparently the fauns carved the whole thing from apple trees! He was just about to explain something about the mast…"

Caspian carried on the sentence where Annette left off, "Yes, the main mast! It was designed to resemble the lamppost Queen Lucy came across when she first journeyed into Narnia and met the Faun Mr. Tumnus." The girls became fascinated by the link to Narnia's Golden Age, though their admiration of the _Dawn Treader _was only beginning.

They learned many things from Caspian as he showed them the ship: of how the rigging was done by the mice Reepicheep commanded, the details given to the wooden Fauns holding up the ship's bell at the base of the forecastle, and the location of the armory just underneath that same space. Their next stop was the oar room. It was a large space beneath the main deck and built from Narnia's oak trees. According to Caspian, those trees were chosen for the room because they possessed a rare protective quality. At the bow of the oak room lied the food storage, but none felt the need to explore that space further. Nor did they wish to travel down to the bunks or visit some of the higher-ranking crewmembers cabins. So instead they rose back up to the main deck to walk through the glass doors at the stern of the ship. The room beyond was that of the royal state room, which served as Caspian's private quarters until Lucy came aboard. Beautiful paintings of Narnia's Golden Age lined the walls of the room, and even a golden head of Aslan was melded into one of the cabinets.

"Narnia's greatest treasures were once here," Caspian informed as Annette looked upon the drawing of older versions of the Pevensies and Margaret straightened up a chair she thought looked a bit out of place, "but now Lucy has her cordial and dagger, Edmund his torch, and I carry Peter's sword. All that's left is Queen Susan's bow and arrows." He nodded at a spot behind Margaret, to which both girls instantly turned towards to smile upon the remnants of Susan.

"It's strange not having her and Peter here this time," Margaret sighed. Her fingers tightened on the back of the chair. She truly missed the older Pevensies, but also realized there was really nothing that could be done to bring them back. They had grown under the guidance of Narnia and it was time to embrace their own world. She turned back to Caspian, "Where to next?"

The trio exited through the doors they entered, though it was only to climb up to the poop deck. For a moment they admired the design of the wheel: two carved fish heads holding the Great Aslan's golden head in the center. The ironwork had been done by Dwarves, who were the smiths of Narnia. With nothing else to be said about the poop deck, Caspian led the girls into the final room of the _Dawn Treader_: the map room. Rather than paintings along the wall, this room was adorned with maps of Narnia. Drawings and sketches of the Seven Lost Lords spread across one of the walls, and Caspian wasted no time in standing before them. It was his habit to look upon the men his father once deemed friends.

As the girls silently explored the contents of the room, Caspian slowly removed one of the pictures. "We found Lord Bern. I suppose he is no longer part of our quest." He smiled at the youthful drawing of the Lord before neatly placing it on a table beside a bowl of fruit.

Annette's eyes momentarily latched onto a shiny red apple protruding from the bowl when she stood at the opposite end of the table, a sudden hunger making her stomach silently growl. To distract her stomach, she lifted her gaze to Caspian with a smile. "And I'm sure he'll enjoy his new title as Duke of the Lone Islands."

"It's a much more fitting position for the noble man," Caspian said. Annette agreed with a nod, her eyes once again falling to the tempting apple. This time her glance did not go unnoticed.

Margaret snickered from across the room. She was looking at some books perfectly aligned across a single shelf, allowing her fingers to gracefully brush against the spine of every cover. "I'm sure anything is better than living as a prisoner… except for being a student in Mrs. Bird's chemistry class."

"Or even worse still," Annette called back with a smile, drawing the other girl's attention, "being her student _twice_." The two friends' laughter quickly filled the map room. Even Caspian cracked a smile. He didn't quite know what the girls were referring to, but he certainly had his fair share of professors he didn't like. "All the same, Lord Bern is going to make a fantastic Duke. He'll keep away those slave traders and allow peace to remain on the island."

"Not to mention feed the hungry," Caspian continued. When he noticed Annette's face twist in confusion, he held up the apple she'd been eyeing. With a knowing smirk he tossed the fruit at the now giggling girl, who easily caught it with both her hands. He watched her for a moment before lifting his gaze to the other side of the room. "Margaret, would you care for any?"

"No… but could I borrow one of these books instead?"

"Take however many you desire."

Margaret wasted no time in snatching the brown cover of a book all about the legends of sea serpents. She hugged it close to her chest, a mischievous expression crossing her face. Ever since Caspian first mentioned sea serpents, she'd had the desire to learn more about them. How fortunate it was to find just the book she needed! "Do you want me to pick one out for you too, Annette? I know how much you love to read."

"Not right now," she heard Annette say. "It will give me a reason to come back later."

Although Annette's back was to her, Margaret knew she was wearing a smile. It was Caspian's face that gave her away. His eyes suddenly brightened and a large grin rose into his cheeks as Annette spoke. He looked foolish. Annette sounded foolish. They were _both _acting foolish, though Margaret was positive neither of them noticed that within the other. She did though, and had to bite back her tongue to prevent herself from laughing because of it. The sudden appearance of Edmund made that task much easier to do though.

"Caspian!" He shouted after nearly kicking the door open. Annette jumped back in surprise, but Margaret held her ground. The sight of him made her feel warm and quickened her heartbeat, and yet her chest tightened. When Edmund finally noticed the two girls, he became embarrassed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that. When Drinian said Caspian was in here I assumed he was alone."

His eyes immediately found Margaret's. When he smirked her way she returned the gesture, though she couldn't find any words to say back to him. In fact, she couldn't even gather enough air to speak! All she could do was smile and stare.

Her quietness was a shock for all those present in the map room, but it was only Annette who saw the deeper meaning to it. Margaret truly looked and acted thrilled with Edmund's unexpected appearance, yet he was clearly the reason why she had looked so troubled before. Annette couldn't figure out why though, and she wouldn't know unless she removed Margaret from the area.

"That's all right, Edmund, we were just about to leave," she politely said as she crossed the room towards Margaret. When the girl didn't move, Annette grabbed hold of her elbow and nearly dragged her away. Before crossing the threshold, she sent back one final smile aimed specifically for Caspian because he looked confused. He didn't understand their abrupt departure. "We'll talk later," she promised before pushing Margaret through the door.

~.~.~.~.

"'_It will give me a reason to come back later'_?" Margaret teased her friend. Although her mind had been clouded only minutes before, her thoughts cleared as soon as the sunlight hit her face. She even had enough sense to realize just why Annette had forced her from the map room. So rather than face her friend, Margaret walked right up to Drinian and asked what chore needed to be carried out. Unfortunately for her, there was nothing. The day was going slow and the wind was in their favor. The crew alone could handle the tasks. It was with a heavy heart that Margaret then plopped herself down on the starboard steps of the poop deck. When Annette sat down beside her, Margaret decided to stall her friend a little longer. "You should have just had me pick out a book and save you from the embarrassment."

"Oh be quiet. It was the only thing I could think of saying." Annette's face turned as red as the apple she shuffled in her hands. She was quiet for a moment, her voice timid when she finally spoke up again. "You don't think he noticed, do you?"

"He was acting just as embarrassing, and did you notice that?"

"He was? I didn't even-"

"There's your answer," Margaret playfully beamed before leaning back on her elbows. She shut her eyes and allowed the Sun to further warm her face. When Annette made no response of her detective work, she cracked open an eye. "What were you two talking about all day anyway?"

Annette's face betrayed her yet again by becoming even redder. With the exception of Caspian's tales of glorious peace-bringing, their jokes, and the tour of the ship, one specific incident crossed her mind, and it wasn't exactly something she felt comfortable saying aloud. It was her discovery of just how deeply she still cared for him, even after a full year. He had assured her she would never be a burden. Just remembering him say those words made her fingers excitedly tighten around the apple in her hands. She also recalled the intensity and sincerity his face held. In that moment it felt as though they had never been apart; that they had simply fallen asleep in the Telmarine castle and woke up aboard the _Dawn Treader_.

"Nothing;" she finally answered before smiling to herself and taking a bite of the apple, "just a bit of catching up."

"So you've finally figured everything out then? There will be no more worrying over time or Narnia's condition? Of whether Caspian is married or what have you?" Margaret intended for her last question to be a joke, but Annette's frozen features left her internally cursing. She bolted back up into a seated position. "Annette, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, Margaret, it's fine." Annette was surprisingly calm when she answered. However, her eyes nervously traced the ocean behind Margaret as opposed to meeting the girl's face. "I never thought to…" _ask him._ "Caspian would never…" _act so caring. _"Not if he…" _had another. _They were sentences she could not bring herself to finish. _How did that slip my mind? It's one of the first questions I should have asked, right?… Wrong. _What did it matter that she'd forgotten to ask? She was too busy enjoying his presence to think about the events that might have occurred while she was gone.

Still, the thought of Caspian fancying someone else pained her. She didn't want to think of the possibility, though she knew to end her turmoil she'd have to bring up the uncomfortable subject with him. And soon because the more she thought about it, the more wounded she became. She didn't even want to dwell on it for a second longer, so she shook her head and decided to turn the subject around. "Is something happening between you and Edmund?"

"Happening? Why would you think something is happening?" Margaret forced on a grin, but Annette wasn't buying it. She raised her brows and tilted her head, an obvious sign that she knew. "Oh, right… my behavior." Margaret looked to the book in her lap, her fingers nervously tracing the golden image of a sea serpent. The creature may be strong, but it gave her no strength. She sighed, "I don't really _know _what's happening. Nothing _bad_, though that doesn't make me feel any better. I don't even think Edmund realizes I'm struggling…" She finished her sentence by biting her lip. Her mind was reeling. She knew what she had to say to Annette, and yet she couldn't grasp the words.

A silence befell the friends. Annette remained still so as not to rush Margaret. She needed time to sort out her own thoughts. Over the course of Annette's life, she found the best way to deal with a troubling mind was to mentally sort out the right path. Speaking with others helped, but it was pointless if the mind did not accept the conclusion. So the best Annette could offer at the moment was a friendly presence. She would speak when the time came.

At length, Margaret took a deep breath and turned her head away from the book. She locked eyes with her friend, a mixture of power and pure terror reflecting in her eyes. "I am in love, Annette. And I am frightened by it."

Annette's eyes widened. _Love? _The thought hadn't been the last on her mind, but she certainly wasn't expecting to hear such words from Margaret. _What do I say back? _She, having only ever tasted the emotion but never claimed it, was at a loss of words. How was she to help Margaret if she herself lacked in experience? Fortunately for Annette, she was saved by none other than Eustace. The sudden ruckus of the boy interrupted their conversation as he pushed around men and objects alike. It appeared as though he were fleeing, but from what?

The further appearance of Reepicheep scurrying along the port-side railing was an answer, but also an additional confusion.

"Trying to run away?" He cried before swinging from the railing to a barrel beside Eustace. "We're on a boat, you know."

When the Mouse drew his sword, both girls were instantly on their feet. The only time that blade was ever drawn was when Reepicheep planned on teaching someone a lesson. Whether said lesson be rewarding or not depended on the person. And who knew what side of Reepicheep's temper Eustace was on?

The boy terrifyingly stared down at the tiny sword. "Look, can't we just discuss this?"

"That was for stealing," Reepicheep proclaimed as he swiped at Eustace's shirt. Apparently a discussion was not an option. He then took a jab at Eustace's stomach through the opened hole. "That was for lying… and _that_," the Mouse slapped the boy across the face with an orange he had just withdrawn from its hiding place, "was for good measure."

Annette suddenly felt guilty for receiving an apple form Caspian. Although he was the King, she still feared what Reepicheep would do if he saw the fruit in her hands. So she quickly began to devour it. Although Margaret found Annette's rapid eating humorous, she became fascinated by Eustace and Reepicheep. More so when she noticed the sword Eustace clumsily held in his hand. He was nearly shaking with anger by this point and looked as though he were ready to strike.

"That's the spirit! We have ourselves a duel," Reepicheep chuckled. He dodged Eustace's attack by leaping over the boy's head and onto a barrel stacked against the railing. "Catch," he called before flinging the orange to the side. Luckily Drinian had made his way down from the wheel long beforehand and was able to catch the fruit.

The entire ship seemed to simultaneously erupt into cheers and fits of laughter as they watched the pair duel. Eustace was positively terrible with the sword, though he did have quite a strong lunge. Regardless, watching Reepicheep roll away from his attacks was humorous, which easily lifted the hearts of Margaret and Annette.

"Stop flapping your wings like a drunken pelican! _Poise!_" He instructed.

Margaret laughed and pointed at the Mouse. "He nearly told me that exact same thing! Do you remember, Annette?"

"Yes because it was right after I told _him _not to get involved with your duel," she scoffed. "He's not a very good listener."

"Keep your blade up. Up, _up_! That's it. Now…" The quick lesson from Reepicheep was over and the duel began once more. He continued to leap about the port side of the ship while Eustace, who was actually following Reepicheep's instructions, attempted to hit the smaller creature.

At one point Margaret got so caught up with the duel that she actually began to cheer… for Eustace. Annette casted a very confused glance at her, but she simply shrugged her shoulders. "I can cheer for whomever I want."

"I realize this, but Eustace? I thought you didn't care for him."

"Well someone has to! Aslan sent him here for a reason!" She threw her hands up in the air, but Annette continued to look confused. That thought had never crossed her mind. Why _had_ Aslan allowed a bigoted boy to enter Narnia? Certainly it wasn't to wreak havoc on everyone in sight.

Margaret incorrectly took Annette's silence for disapproval. She scrunched her nose, "Well if you're not going to at least be supportive then I might as well leave."

Without waiting for a single word of explanation, Margaret hurried down the stairs to stand beside Lucy. Annette remained where she was, laughing as she watched her stubborn friend go.

"Yoo-hoo! Over here," Reepicheep taunted, drawing Annette's attention back to the duel. The Mouse had once again crossed to the center of the ship and was waiting for Eustace to remove his sword from the rigging.

_The poor boy must have gotten it stuck_, Annette sadly observed before taking another mouthful of apple. _Perhaps Margaret was right. Perhaps he does need more support._ She thought no more on it, however, and returned to simultaneously watching and eating.

"Now, lunge with your foot," Reepicheep continued before spinning off the barrel. He went straight for Eustace's calves so as to lightly slash his instructions into him. "Not your left, your _right_. Got it? Come on." He climbed back onto the railing. Now at eyelevel with Eustace, he began to shuffle his paws as is the way of swordsmanship. "Be nimble! Be nimble! It's a dance, boy, a _dance_. Come on now, again…" Eustace went back to his lunging, this time remembering the words of Reepicheep. Every thrust of his sword was met with a dodge. "And again… That's right… that's right!"

Reepicheep's balance didn't last for long though. With a final cry of "Oh, no!" he fell backwards off the ship.

Margaret immediately rushed forward to make sure her friend was unharmed, but Lucy held her back with a knowing smile. Annette reacted much like Lucy. She knew it was impossible for Reepicheep to lose a duel, let alone lose his balance. So she patiently waited for what sorts of trickery the little Mouse planned on doing. Sure enough, as Eustace peered into the ocean, Reepicheep silently climbed back up on the opposite side of the rigging. He crawled over to the clearly concerned boy, tapping his left shoulder with his tail.

When Eustace spun around to see who had tapped him, Reepicheep swung down to give him a much deserved kick to the behind. "And _that_… is that."

Eustace harshly fell to the ground, knocking over a large basket in the process. Margaret laughed as the boy fell, though her humor subsided when she heard a girl scream. She looked at Annette and Lucy to see if they had done it, but they only wore similarly confused faces. So she turned back to the basket, taking a step forward when she noticed a small hand emerge from the cloth covering.

"Look," Lucy softly called from behind.

Whichever crewmembers hadn't herd the little girl's yelp certainly had their eyes trained on her now. Her light purple dress was full of wrinkles as she crawled from the basket and her brown hair a mess of swirls around her face. Although her eyes were bright, they looked around the tall crew with terror. For a moment her eyes rested on Annette, who appeared the least threatening because she had recognized the girl instantly as the one from Narrowhaven. Her confusion had then quickly melted into sympathetic concern, a contradiction from the faces of the others.

"Gael? What are you doing here?" A man cried as he stepped forward. Annette recognized him, too, as the girl's father, Rhince. Out of all those assembled on deck, he appeared the most bewildered. Still, he was the girl's father and it was his duty to comfort her. "Here," he gently said as he hugged her to him.

The reunion was moving, yet Annette was still tense. Gael was a stowaway. She had smuggled herself onto the ship and would certainly pay the consequences. Drinian was a fair man, but Annette didn't know what to expect as she witnessed him approach the small family. She slowly made her way down the stairs, readying herself to defend the poor girl if necessary. Only when the Captain paused before Gael did she freeze.

"Looks like we have an extra crew member," he announced much to the relief of them all. As Drinian held the orange out to Gael, Annette could no longer contain herself and happily pushed her way through to stand before the girl. Lucy and Margaret, however, had beaten her to it.

"Welcome aboard," Lucy greeted once Annette stood beside Margaret.

Gael offered a small curtsy, "Your Majesties."

"We're not Queens," Margaret laughed. Although her sentence was genuine, to a child it could be perceived as mockery. Margaret failed to realize that until she left Annette jab her elbow into her side. "That is, we're Ladies of Narnia but nothing… too important?"

Annette shook her head before stooping down to Gael's level. "My name is Annette, and my babbling friend back there is Margaret."

Gael giggled before turning her eyes to Lucy. The Queen smiled down at the small child. "Call me Lucy. Come on."

"Oh yes, you must be starving after sitting in that basket since yesterday evening!" Annette cried as she and Lucy gently led Gael away.

Margaret was about to follow after them, but thought better of it. Having two people fret over Gael was probably enough, especially since Annette had a tendency to become a little _too _concerned at times. No doubt this would be one of those. Besides, Margaret had other tasks she wished to fulfill: such as discovering Eustace's value to Narnia.

She intercepted the boy with a smile as he headed for the bow of the ship. "Hello there, Eustace."

"What do _you _want?" He asked with furrowed brows. Margaret was still someone he did not hold in his favor.

"I just wanted say you had a good match against Reepicheep. There's no need to get all worked up about it!" She rolled her eyes with a good solid huff before crossing her arms.

"Oh, well… thank you, I suppose." Eustace was clearly at a loss for words from Margaret's compliment. It was a complete change of character, by his eyes, and took him quite by surprise. However, he still did not wish to speak with the girl. "I just got done telling your Mouse friend how the results would have been different in an entirely different setting. I have read books on ships and books about swords, but never have I come across a novel involving both swords and ships. Had we been on solid ground, there's a high chance I would have won."

Margaret took a breath to respond, but Eustace spun away from her to walk towards the poop deck. He was clearly done with her, but Margaret was persistent. After groaning to herself, she followed after the boy to say what she originally wanted to respond with: "I sincerely doubt that, Eustace. Reepicheep is fantastic with that blade of his. He's even jabbed me a few times with it."

"Good for him. You probably deserved as much."

"He's a terrific tutor too, you know," she continued, ignoring Eustace's reproach. The boy quickened his pace when he reached the stairs, trying in vain to get away. But Margaret would have none of it. "He helped me train once! The issue you had with your arms? I had that too, though that was before I actually developed my skills. Now I'd like to say I'm rather decent with a sword. Not unbeatable like Reep is, but definitely better than you. You couldn't even lunge! Oh Eustace, even my first time had a better ending than-"

"Well if you're so well-off with a sword, why don't you have a go at it?" Eustace shouted back at her. The moment Margaret began mocking his first ever time with a sword was the last straw. He stopped in is tracks suddenly, which Margaret hadn't even noticed, and his face began to redden. Now he stared at her so heatedly he nearly bore holes through her skull. Yet Margaret felt no sting.

She merely laughed at him, "Don't be silly, Eustace, that is-"

"A marvelous idea!" Edmund cried as he emerged from the map room. Caspian came out a moment later, a large grin on his face.

"Edmund _no_!" Margaret groaned, her displeasure of dueling overtaking her sense of fear. "And _whom _do you suggest I duel with? You and Caspian are too well-trained and Eustace is… well…" She had to bite back her tongue before she said something insulting. "I don't even have a sword!"

"You could always duel with Annette," Caspian suggested as he scanned the deck for her. "She's probably just as out of practice as you are."

"And you do have a sword because…" Edmund withdrew the weapon he'd been chipping away at all day, "look what I just finished."

He smiled as he handed the weapon to Margaret, who was nearly breathless by the sight. It was plain when compared to Caspian's sword, but she loved it more because of its simplicity. "It's beautiful, Edmund." She lightly touched the handle, her fingers stopping before they reached his. "How did you finish it so quickly? It's only been a day!"

"Because I knew the sword was for you," he nervously replied. Margaret turned from the blade to Edmund, but he averted his eyes. "I know there are other swords available onboard, but with this one being from the Golden Age, I thought maybe it would give you courage. So you wouldn't fear the thought of warfare. That's why I had to finish it… for you."

Edmund didn't want her to be frightened. He didn't want her to panic at the edge of battle like she had during the fight at Aslan's How. If only he knew that his act of kindness frightened her even more than bloodshed ever will. It was the fear of the unknown. Her heart began to pound and her hands shook as she took hold of her new weapon. A mixture of affection and fright towards Edmund pumped through her veins. She didn't even know what to say back to him.

"A-Annette," she called over the railing rather than face him. "You might want to come up here. The boys want us to-"

"To duel?" Annette finished from the stairwell behind Margaret. No one had heard her approach, so her sudden appearance startled more than one person. "I heard the whole thing from below. Although I'd rather not duel you, Margaret, I do think we need to refresh our memory in case something happens."

Margaret mumbled incoherent words under her breath, but ultimately realized what Annette said was right. Both had fared well in Narrowhaven, but that had been hand-to-hand combat. If someone came at one of them with a sword would they be prepared? She'd rather not find out.

"Hold this," she grumbled before tossing her book at Edmund and readying her sword.

He nearly dropped the book because of the unexpected pass, but was able to catch it after a brief shuffle. When he noticed the title, his brows nearly rose off his face. "Sea serpents?" His exclamation was ignored.

Annette admired the reflection of Margaret's new blade until she remembered she still didn't have one. "Could I borrow a sword from someone? I haven't grabbed one from the armory yet."

"You may use mine," Caspian immediately said. He pulled out his weapon and gently handed it to her. She neither thanked him nor met his eyes.

Power could be felt as she held the blade in her hands, since it was essentially _the _blade of Narnia. Although it was foreign, Annette had the strange sensation that a part of it belonged to her; that she and the blade were somehow connected. The sword was meant for the Kings and Queens of Narnia though, more specifically the Kings, and Annette held no such title. So why was there a connection?

There was little time to ponder over the mysteries of the sword, however, especially since Annette would only hold it for a few moments. So she brushed aside the feeling and readied the blade. "Are you ready, Margaret?"

"This better be short because I don't want to—Hey!" Margaret didn't have time to finish her complaint because her dear friend had suddenly rushed at her with a raised blade. The attack was easily blocked, though that didn't prevent a glare from forming. "Annette, what was that for?"

"Be prepared, Margaret, be prepared," she smiled.

Margaret rolled her eyes at her friend before using all her strength to push Annette away. When she went stumbling back into the railing, there was nothing to hold back Margaret's mocking taunts. "Be prepared, Annette, be prepared."

Everyone, Annette included, offered some form of chuckle before the duel picked up once more. Margaret charged, but soon found her blade stuck within the railing because Annette had rolled away. With the advantage now on her side, Annette swung at Margaret's feet, to which the girl promptly leapt over. The force of her feet finding the floorboards once more was enough to remove her sword from the wood and face her friend. She took another swing, but Annette simply back away. So Margaret tried again, which resulted in a similar outcome. The pattern continued until she successfully backed Annette to the port stairs leading to the main deck. Now Margaret had the advantage of being on higher ground.

Annette recognized her disadvantage instantly, but there was nothing she could do. If she backed away, Margaret would stay and await her return. If she tried to force her way up, her lowered level would result in her defeat. Attempting to run to the other side would not only make her look foolish, but give Margaret time to simply run to the top of the opposite stairwell. After blocking a few more attacks from Margaret, Annette realized there was only one thing to do.

She took a step up, making it appear as though she were trying to push Margaret away, but instead sat herself upon the banister and slid to the bottom. She leapt off once she reached the end, only somewhat clumsily landing on her feet. There was a smile on her face when she looked back up at her opponent. "Come on, Margaret! We haven't got all day!"

"Actually, we potentially do!" Margaret called back down before taking a turn at sliding down the railing. She wasn't about to let Annette have all the fun. As soon as she steadied herself upon the main deck, the fight was back on.

The longer the two girls dueled, the more they remembered their previous lessons. The most effective way to evade an attack, the proper posture to uphold, how to improvise when an attack failed; all of it flooded their minds. Even their individual advantages found their muscles once more. Margaret, despite being slightly shorter, proved to be stronger. Her swift strokes barreled down with such a force that multiple times vibrations would shake onto Annette's hand. The pain was so great that she nearly dropped her weapon a few times, but she remained just as determined as Margaret. Annette had a more technical approach to her dueling. Her movements were fast, and her reaction time faster. This allowed her to dodge and attack so swiftly that at one point Margaret became dizzy. She didn't let this stop her though. She was far better at improvising and resorted to using her foot whenever necessary. No doubt Annette's shins would be full of light bruises.

Whenever a standstill occurred, Annette held the advantage—hence Margaret's usage of her foot. However, one such incident actually had Margaret as the superior one. By this point, both girls were tired and breathing heavily. They were weakening under the Sun's rays, and even then Margaret maintained a powerful swing. When the girl's swords met for the final time, it was Annette who had to grit her teeth because her blade was locked beneath Margaret's. The desire to win shined bright in the latter girl's eyes, increasing her strength even further. She used all her might to push her sword down upon her friend, which resulted in Annette having to place one knee upon the floorboards so she wouldn't completely fall to the floor. Yet even this wasn't enough for Margaret.

Just as she was about to suddenly remove her weapon, thereby sending Annette flying upward since the counter force would disappear, and win the duel, a call from above echoed across the deck: _"Land ho!"_

Margaret excitedly looked up. _Land?_

In her distracted state, Margaret forgot all about the duel. When she looked to the crow's nest, her power over Annette inadvertently weakened. And Annette wasn't one to become distracted when her mind was set on something. When she felt the force on her sword lessen, she wasted no time in spinning up from the ground. Her blade whirled around the side of Margaret's, nearly hitting the poor girl in the face. Margaret backed her head away, though there was little she could do as the lower part of Annette's sword forced Margaret's in the opposite direction. The blade suddenly slipped from her hand and onto Annette's boot before being flicked back up and into said girl's palm. Margaret was too shocked by the sudden turn of events to even flinch away from the two blades now aimed at her.

Silence befell the deck, the only sounds being that of the deep breathing of the two friends. At length though, Margaret heaved out a large sigh, "How is it you always manage to end your duels with _two _swords in your hands?"

A thunderous applause erupted across the crew. They were pleased with the duel and praised the winner. Margaret didn't mind that she'd lost to Annette. Her friend was able to pick up the skill the quickest and therefore had a little more experience. _Besides, _she happily thought to herself, _she didn't technically win. If that man hadn't informed us of land, then I would be the victorious one!_

"Margaret, stop smiling like that. I was going to win anyway," Annette teased as she returned the blade, knowing exactly what her friend was thinking.

"Oh really?" Margaret challenged as she snatched back her sword. "And how exactly did you plan on doing that?"

"Well…" Annette nervously started, searching her mind for any sort of answer. She hadn't expected Margaret to continue her joke. "I-I was about to… to…"

"Annette!" Caspian exclaimed, inadvertently saving the girl. His hands wrapped around her shoulders as he proudly stared at her. "You were wonderful! It seems as though your year away has only heightened your ability with the blade."

"Thank you," she sweetly smiled. Her eyes affectionately stared back at him, but those same green eyes abruptly morphed into sadness as a thought crossed her mind. She looked to her shoes and handed Caspian back his sword. "I'm sorry," she mumbled before ducking under his arms. She headed towards Lucy and Gael under the bewildered gaze of Caspian.

Margaret watched after Annette with the same perplexed expression as Caspian, though hers also held a twinge of guilt. She had a horrible feeling that Annette's mind had thought back to their prior conversation, in which case her distance would be all Margaret's fault. _Why must Annette and I overthink everything? _She mentally cursed before feeling a tap on her shoulder. She spun around to see none other than Edmund and Eustace.

"Here," Edmund smiled as he handed Margaret her book and new sword casing. "It's yours now. Perhaps one day you can use it so slay a sea serpent." He winked at her, causing a laugh to tumble out of her. Just because she was scared of being in love didn't mean she wished to be away from him _all _the time.

Eustace then stepped forward. His expression was unreadable, though he did fidget with the ends of his sweater. "Good match," he nodded.

Out of all the interactions Margaret ever had with Eustace Clarence Scrubb, this was the first time she ever heard him speak genuinely to her. She beamed at the boy. _Progress._

~.~.~.~.

Sunset. They reached their destination at sunset.

After sailing around the island for a short while, an easily accessible shore had finally been detected. It was within a small cove of the island, the only space they could find that did _not _have an abundance of trees or tall rocks.

Margaret and Annette stood near the main mast, leaning against the structure and observing Edmund, Caspian, and Drinian as they discussed what to do for the night. A telescope was to the Kings eye, though the words said amongst the three of them were mere murmurs to the girls' ears. Lucy and Gael had tried to listen in, but soon grew bored with the activity and decided to pick out a book for Lucy from the map room instead.

"Do you think we'll go ashore tonight?" Margaret asked, turning towards her friend. She was excited by the unexplored land, yet the thought of going there after dusk left her anxious. What if an unknown creature attacked them?

"I don't know," Annette replied. She sensed the worries Margaret held, but knew there was little she could do to shake off her nerves. Her eyes remained on the men, a sudden confidence rising in her voice. "Either way, Caspian will see to it that we are safe."

After mostly avoiding Caspian for the past few hours, Annette saying that sentence without a hint of doubt was a bit strange for Margaret. At the same time, it was also encouraging. She had been pestering Annette the whole time to stop acting so childish and speak with Caspian, but every time Annette would retort with how she should probably talk to Edmund too. That always sent Margaret into a huff since she didn't think her issue was as important—or as foolish for that matter—as Annette's. But at least now her relentless pushing appeared to be working.

Caspian lowered the telescope he held, his eyes instantly moving from the approaching land and locking with Annette's. They shared a moment of intense staring, one in which neither seemed to want to back away from. However, Caspian had orders he had to give and could not look upon the girl for too long. He took a deep breath, "We'll spend the night on shore. Scour the island in the morning."

"Aye, your Majesty," Drinian said as he was handed the telescope.

Caspian rushed down the stairs and immediately headed for the main mast. Edmund was right on his heels, though he was slightly clueless as to where Caspian was leading him. The King stopped right in front of Annette, their eyes locking once more. For a moment they said nothing, which made Margaret and Edmund rather uncomfortable. They themselves exchanged numerous uncertain glances.

"Prepare to go ashore," Caspian finally stated. When Annette nodded, he took a step back and made way to help prepare their provisions. Edmund reluctantly followed, sending a final glance back at Margaret.

"Quit being so terse," the girl snapped before the pair of them headed to their room to grab their supplies for the night.

~.~.~.~.

They made camp next to a cluster of small rocks since the fire would be better protected from the wind. Margaret sat close to the flames, leaning against one of the rocks and reading about the tales of sea serpents. Occasionally she'd come across something so terrifyingly interesting that she _had _to tell Edmund about it, but for the most part she was silent. Annette was not so close to the fire. After setting up Margaret's bed for the night, she took a few paces farther away to set up hers. Although she rather enjoyed the warmth of the fire, Eustace was already loudly snoring near it. She didn't think she could fall asleep with such a ruckus.

As she rolled out her mat, a pair of boots entered her vision. She lifted her eyes to meet the owner's. "Hello, Caspian."

He hesitantly stared down at her, a cluster of his supplies piled in his hands. He nodded to the spot beside her, "Would it be too much to ask if I slept beside you? Eustace's snoring is a bit distracting."

Although the question should have left Annette blushing, such color did not arise in her cheeks. She simply moved her newly acquired sword to the other side of the mat and smiled, "By all means."

Caspian plopped his supplies onto the sand and set to work on his bed for the evening. They worked in silence with only the occasional "Sorry" leaving their lips whenever they caused sand to fly onto the other's mat. Once the mats were dusted, the blankets spread out, and the pillows properly placed, Annette and Caspian fell onto their individual beddings. Annette herself waited for her dreams to consume her, yet sleep would not find her this night. The stars were bright and made her mind wander.

She was nervous and confused. Caspian was lying so close to her that a simple outstretched hand would be more than enough to brush his arm. Never had they slept so near to one another, and that alone was enough to send Annette's mind into overdrive. She bit her lip, too afraid to move and clutch her hair. Every once in a while she snuck in a glance at Caspian, unaware that he would also occasionally looked over at her.

What was she supposed to do? Her thoughts refused to let her sleep and yet she feared what talking with him would bring. She desperately wanted things to return to the way they had been that morning: joking around with a carefree air about them. And yet, as silly as it sounded, she could not go on wondering whether or not Caspian had his eyes set on another. A mixture of guilt and pain would settle into her stomach if he did, tainting each affectionate memory she ever held with him. Annette didn't want to have that feeling, and not asking would do just that.

But she owed him an explanation. After an eventful morning, she had simply avoided him. As Margaret said, it was childish of her. If there was one thing Narnia had taught her, it was that maintaining her childhood would only get her so far. With a deep breath, Annette spun onto her side with her head resting upon her left arm. A pillow rested across Caspian's face, allowing only a corner of his eye to be seen. _Is he even awake?_

"Caspian?" Stillness was her answer. Her eyes fell to her hand as her fingers traced circles in the soft sand. She hadn't expected much, having waited so long to say something. It was a fool's hope that he would-

"Yes?" His answer startled her, yet she was glad for it all the same.

Annette lifted her eyes back up from the sand only to find Caspian now on his side facing her. His sheer nearness gave her courage. "I'm sorry. Rather than speak with you again like I promised, I shut down without a word of explanation. I've been nothing but horrid to you."

"I don't believe you could ever be a horrid person," he said seriously, his eyes falling to her hand.

"I appreciate your honesty, Caspian, but I fear it's true," she sadly smiled. "I allowed an innocent joke of Margaret's to spin out of control in my mind. She asked me a simple question, and although in my heart I knew the answer, for some reason I could not accept it." Her face began to redden, but thankfully the darkness concealed that. "And it is such a silly question, Caspian! I feel foolish for simply dwelling on it for this long."

A smile tugged on the lips of Caspian, though he tried his best to force it away. "What is this question?"

Annette buried the side of her face into her arm. "You're going to laugh at me when I ask, I just know it." His answer, however, would be a different story entirely.

"You don't need to ask if you don't want to," he lightly chuckled, despite his curious expression.

"No! I want to; it's just… give me a moment."

_Why is this so difficult? _She harshly asked herself as she took deep breaths. She was trying in vain to compose herself, but finding Caspian's eyes now staring at her was not helping in the slightest. After many failed attempts at speaking, Annette felt as though she were the most foolish being in the entirety of Narnia. Her embarrassment resulted in the rapid movement of her hand upon the sand. It was a substitute for her hair, yet even then no comfort was drawn. The only reason she was even able to remotely calm down was when something warm grabbed her fast moving fingers.

Watching Caspian's hand gently hold hers, even after a good portion of the day involving her being on little speaking terms with him, took away the fears Annette held. It wasn't the embarrassment that made her hesitant, it was the answer. And even if said answer was not what she hoped for, then she would just have to accept that. She took a final deep breath, "In the three Narnian years that I've been gone, have you… found someone… to rule alongside with?"

Annette withdrew her vision from embarrassment, but snapped her eyes back up when she heard Caspian laugh. In fact, he was looking up to the sky with the palm of his free hand covering his eyes. She _knew _he was going to laugh at her, she just thought he'd make it more subtle.

As if realizing her thoughts, Caspian squeezed Annette's hand and lowered his outburst to mere chuckles. "No, Annette, I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at myself!"

"What?" Her brows shot up. "Caspian, that doesn't make any sense."

"I'd been wondering that exact same thing about you all day. I just couldn't find the courage to ask." His eyes turned from the stars to her face. "You are very brave, Annette."

"_Me_? _Brave_? I think the sea's caused you to lose your mind," she giggled to which Caspian easily joined in. After a moment of laughing, Annette turned their conversation back into the silly seriousness it was before. "But no, there is no one waiting for me back in England. It's just been me, Margaret, and the Pevensies."

Caspian failed at hiding his happiness, especially with the rapidly increasing grin emerging onto his face. "There is no one waiting for me in Narnia either!" Annette laughed at his rushed statement and at how quickly he registered what he said. "Well of course there are my friends and loyal subjects. I must return for them. What I meant was there is no Queen. There hasn't been since… well…" Caspian ended with an uncomfortable cough.

Annette didn't mind though. She understood what he meant. If he had finished his sentence, Annette feared her heart would have pounded with such strength that she would've burst. So she gently squeezed his hand, a signal that he needn't say more.

Caspian visibly appeared greatly relieved by Annette's acceptance. He smiled down at her one final time before raising their joined hands and placing a kiss to the back of hers. His lips lingered for a moment, but he lowered their hands back to the sand when he felt Annette scoot a little closer towards him. They were both on the far edges of their mats, staring at one another with unblinking eyes until sleep finally found them.

Neither one of them even thought about removing their hand.

~.~.~.~.

**So yeah… that was very long, wasn't it? I warned you! But I hope the chapter wasn't dull or anything. I mean, how often are you going to come across **_**two **_**duels in **_**one**_** chapter? It's crazy I tell you! CRAZY!**

**Anyway, a long chapter for a long review? Huh? A fair trade, don't you think? Especially since there is only ONE MORE REVIEW UNTIL WE REACH FIFTY! YEAH! We can all have a Narnian party! ;D**

**Haha! Until next time! Which MistroStrings and I hope will not be nearly as long of a wait. We love you all!**


	7. Comfort, Creatures and Confessions

**So sorry for the long wait everyone! Things have been so busy this summer. I really do apologize for the delay, but I hope this chapter is good for all of you! Don't forget to review and all that jazz. :D **

**Fun question for you all: If you could rule with one other person in Narnia, whom would you choose? **

**All the best,**

**Mistro**

~.~.~.~.~.~

"_Margaret, would you like to take the wheel?" The voice of Annette's father took Margaret by surprise. Physically, it was the same man who she had known for years, but verbally he was changed. The sea seemed to bring out a new persona within him: happier and more carefree. Margaret had never steered a ship before, but she wouldn't miss her one opportunity. And since Annette's father was more than willing to help, she would not miss that opportunity also. _

_The wheel seemed to grow larger the closer she got. She was surprised to see that it was nearly double her width, but somehow that simultaneously worried her. _

"_Don't be nervous," he assured her. "It's like a Captain during a storm. As long as you pretend like you know what to do, luck tends to favor you." _

_Margaret smiled. "Well, I'm awfully good at pretending." _

_The seas were calm that day and Margaret knew that fear was not a reasonable emotion. However, she had never acquired such power before. Holding the handles firmly in her grasp gave her a sense of belonging. A grin spread across her face as the feeling of importance rushed over her and clung strongly to her soul. _

"_That's right. Now keep it steady… Good, Margaret. Watch your wrists. Very slowly turn it to the left." Annette's father was proud of the young girl. She had been his daughter's friend for many years, but there had always been timidity within her to do what she desired. She had as many hopes and dreams as the next fourteen year old, but acting upon them was a different story. _

_Margaret was hardly paying attention to his directions. All she could focus on was the waves crashing down around her. Sparks of water would fly up against the small boat, sometimes flopping onto the deck like struggling fish. Her grin could not disperse and Annette caught sight of it from the other side of the ship. _

_It was like she was lifting into heaven. Descending into the air with each wave that rocked the boat. Lifting and lifting until you found comfort in the clouds. A heaven on Earth with nothing but the turquoise sea around her._

_Lifting and lifting and … _

Lifting? Margaret snapped out of her memory-like dream to find herself suspended. Her mouth opened for a scream, but something quickly clamped over her lips to stop her cries for help. She looked around desperately, the sleep completely gone from her bones, only to find nothing. There was no one holding her up.

But there had to be!

Her screams continued to be muffled by invisible hands. She could almost taste the salt on them, but biting her way into freedom was more difficult than it seemed. The mysterious kidnapper began to pull her away from her sandy bedside and further into the unknown island.

"Edmund!" Her plea came out as nothing more than a muffled cry. She looked over her shoulder towards her sleeping companions, but hardly a stir was made for her kidnap. They must have thought her silent pleas were the minute call of a gull on a distant beach.

_This island is abandoned! _Though her voice sounding convincing in her head, she knew that it was not accurate. _I'm dreaming! _The sad truth of it was that she was most certainly not dreaming. And as she was carried further away from the others, the realization gave her stomach a terrible sickness.

Her body was swiftly pulled into a nearby forest before she had a chance to call for help one last time. Branches, trees, and night bugs stung at her face and tore her clothes as her captive's pace quickened. There was not a moment she did not attempt to call for help, but even if she could, her friends' snores were so loud she presumed their slumber was deep.

She was utterly alone.

Until her view focused up ahead.

"Lucy!" She cried behind her captor's hand. Her young companion was also being taken into the further forests and gardens of the island. The Pevensie girl was a few feet ahead of her and could not have known that Margaret was suffering the same fate as she.

And though she was being taken from her friends into a land unknown, something about the situation didn't seem as threatening as it had beforehand. Her body was not too far from the ground, therefore suggesting whoever was holding her was not very tall. Something about her captor's walk also seemed unsteady and weak.

_Sea serpents, _Margaret thought to herself with a hiss of annoyance. _Why didn't I get a book from Caspian's library about this island? I had to go and get one about _sea serpents.

Her body was finally tossed down into a soft patch of grass. Margaret groaned as her back roughly hit the uneven Earth. Though she was 'free', she could feel the presence of her abductors nearby. "Lucy!" She cried, spotting the girl a few feet off.

"Margaret?" The young Queen seemed surprised that she was not alone, but that instantly turned to relief as the two crawled closer towards the other. They spoke no more, but the conversation they held with their eyes was just as important.

Lucy had a dagger on her hip. Though they could not see their attackers it was worth a try. Who knew what would happen to them if they did not fight back? Margaret gave her a swift of approval. In a mere matter of seconds, the young Pevensie was on her feet. She swung desperately in the open air, only to have her dagger disappointingly smacked down in a matter of seconds.

"Well," an unarmed Margaret sighed from the sidelines. "It was worth a go."

Lucy fell to the ground in desperation, fumbling to try and regain her composure. A high-pitched cackle rolled off the tongue of someone to Margaret's left. The hideous tone made her stomach churn and her fist swung out to try to meet their face. She felt nothing as she swung through the air, but a quick twist of her arm lifted a scream from her throat.

"There is no escape." This came from a deeper voice. It seemed to be directly across from Margaret, and though it's tone should have been alarming, it sounded almost… dimwitted. Her brows scrunched together.

What _were_ these things?

Lucy had not quite picked up on Margaret's observations. When she asked the question they both had been thinking, her voice shook. "What are you?"

An elderly, raspy voice shook. "We are terrible and invisible beasts!"

"If you could see us," the deeper voice from earlier called out, "you would be really intimidated."

"You've forgot to mention that we are _very _large!" One called out from the distance. More and more began to agree and Margaret had to stop and tally the voices. There had been over four speaking. Just how many were there?

"Well, what do you want?" Lucy couldn't help but tremble. Margaret was more annoyed with the situation than fearful, but watching her friend's state of discomfort began to put her there as well.

"_You_." Margaret imagined the creature pointing towards them. "You'll do what we ask."

"They will."

"Very clear."

"Yeah."

All of the voices began to comply with their 'leader', the one with the low voice. Margaret only needed to give a single look to Lucy to show that these were not creatures they should be afraid of. She wasn't positive about that fact, but if they needed them, certainly they would not harm them.

Lucy slowly stood up. Margaret's gaze of reassurance had managed to calm her nerves. As her stature grew, the Queen-like nature of her past began to show. "Or what?" She questioned with the narrowing of her wide eyes.

There was a moment's pause before the leader spoke. "Or death."

"Death?" One shouted from the side with hesitation.

"_Death_?" Another chimed in, his voice void of all certainty.

Eventually all of their questions of improbability mingled into one. The word began to appeal to them with each syllable, turning into a barbaric chant. A chant of death that was being aimed at two young women.

Now even Margaret was fearful.

Despite her twisting stomach, Margaret stood as tall and straight as she could. Puffs of smoke were coming out into the early morning air, and she knew that must have been the creatures' mouths. She tried to match her own height with the balls of condensation floating about. "You will tell us what we must do. Only then will we decide if we accept. And if not…" Margaret gave a confident smirk, though her knees were starting to wobble. "… Well, then we'll see who_ really_ gets to die."

"A confident speech," the deep voice snickered. "And yet you cannot chase us, see us, nor find us if we choose to hide."

"No," Margaret said with a mumble. "And I cannot presume that you do not have swords. But since I have felt no metal against my neck since my arrival on this island, I think it is safe to say that you are not as strong as you claim."

Silence echoed throughout the open gardens. The area itself was far too beautiful to deem threatening. Tall shrubberies encased them in a mini-maze of grasses. If any creatures were to live there, she presumed they would be elegant birds or friendly rabbits.

"This one has a mouth on her," he grumbled once again. "Perhaps we'll kill you both. Perhaps we'll do it _now_."

"Well, we wouldn't be much use to you dead, now would we?" Lucy reiterated her companion's previous statement. Clearly the 'monsters' were slow in the head, because it was only during the second stating of this fact that they had managed to pick up on it.

Another pause brewed before the leader spoke up. "I hadn't thought of that."

There was a snicker from another creature. "No, you hadn't."

"Fair point." Margaret could almost imagine this one shrugging.

Was it really that easy?

"Alright!" A different one spoke up. Margaret was beginning to lose count of how many there were. Seven? Eight? She was too lost in her thoughts to imagine what could have been said next. "Then we'll just kill your friends! And maybe the blonde one standing next to you, since she seems to have nothing nice to say-"

"Nice?" Margaret snapped, taking a step forward into the circle. "The sad thing is that you think I've been rude! If you really want to see what rude is like-"

Lucy glanced over at Margaret to silence her. Though she was younger in human years, Lucy was a Queen of Narnia. Margaret felt far less wise in her presence and therefore respected Lucy's request to be quiet. "What do you want with me?" Lucy's voice was calm like the waves on the shore. "With_ us_?"

"You will enter the house of…" Two hands roughly found the girl's back, causing her to tumble forward. The same happened to Margaret, only much harsher, and she uncomfortably found herself flat on her face with a groan. "… the oppressor!"

Margaret scoffed as she struggled to stand up. "Oh! Therefore it must be _your _house, seeing as I just landed face-first into the dirt."

Lucy stared off into the distance. Was it far away and out of sight? Both girls hoped it wasn't a long walk. They had hardly gotten enough sleep and with the large amount of travel they had left, petty games between islands were far from welcome. "What house?" Lucy grumbled in annoyance.

"This one."

Margaret was standing right beside the deep voice when he spoke. It startled her, but that was not the real shock. Suddenly, the air split in two. It was as if the entire world was breaking in half, only to make way for a new one. A beautiful one. She couldn't help but wonder: Was that what it looked like when Aslan opened a door into their world? And just how many doors on Earth did Aslan have?

Golden light trickled out of the crack in the doorway. It was like entering heaven, only Margaret wasn't quite ready for that experience yet.

"Upstairs, you two will find the book of incantations. Recite the spell that makes the unseen _seen_." Stairs were beginning to appear as the doorway opened wider. Checkered floors welcomed the girls inside, but Margaret remained unsure of its safety. In fact, she was so startled with the house's sudden appearance, she almost missed the invisible creature's command.

"Well put," a loyal follower cried out. "Very well put."

"Remember what would happen to your friends," the leader hissed. Margaret and Annette were both standing on the doorway too stunned to speak. "You've been warned."

Lucy spun around with a furrowed brow. She didn't know where to look, and therefore her eyes darted across the lawn wildly. "Why don't you do it yourselves?"

The answer was simple. "We can't read."

A dopey voice grunted in amusement. "Can't write either, as a matter of fact."

Margaret's curt chuckle echoed across the lawn. "Well, I'm _so_ surprised to hear that."

"Or add…" Another one noted glumly. It took every fiber of her being for Margaret not to laugh.

Lucy took a step forward. Something in her eyes echoed pity, and Margaret couldn't help to disagree with her sympathy. These people… things…kidnapped them. They were clearly imbeciles! And yet Lucy was a Queen of Narnia. She had a duty to respect the creatures on it: big or small, intelligent or dimwitted. Her caring voice spoke up. "Why didn't you just say so?"

"We're a bit weary of the oppressor," one explained. "He's very …"

"Oppressive?" Margaret struck in with a snort.

"Exactly!" said he.

The leader chimed back in as Lucy turned towards the door. Margaret followed her lead. "'What Makes The Unseen Seen', got it?"

"Don't forget now!"

Margaret looked over to see Lucy shutting her eyes. Her expression was hard to understand. Was she tired? Confused? Angry? Or simply annoyed? "For some reason I have a bad feeling about this," Margaret confessed quietly.

"We were both sleeping with our books beside us," Lucy said timidly. "They must have chosen us for that very reason. I can't imagine they would want anything more of us."

A heavy sigh escaped the chambers of Margaret's inner frustration. "Well. There's only one way for us to get back to the camp safely."

And that began with walking through the door.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Annette squeezed her blanket harder as a memory taunted her from her sleep. It was Aslan. His deep rumble of a voice called her name, but each time she responded, the Lion became more confused. His voice began to dim until there was nothing. Annette could feel the blanket slipping from her hand, leaving her with a sense of loneliness and discomfort. She outstretched her arm to take it back, missing that sensation of total comfort and protection.

Only, when she finally opened her eyes, it wasn't her blanket. The soft feeling lingering between her fingers all evening had been none other than the hand of… "Caspian?" Her voice did not do well to hide its embarrassment. The King was staring at her with wide eyes from his bed. Their fingers were separated now, but the space between them remained minimal. Annette could feel the heat of mortification on her face and presumed his emotions would match her own. But instead something fearful sparked in his resolute eyes.

"Something is not right," he confessed. Quickly, he jumped up from his makeshift bed to get a better view of his surroundings. His eyes scanned the area, everything seeming natural until … "Ed!" He shouted while giving a shove to his other King. "Ed, wake up!"

"What's going on?" Annette said with fervor. She mocked Caspian's trepidation and stood up. That was when she realized it. It was like a knife was jabbed quickly and swiftly into her gut. "Oh _no_."

Margaret and Lucy were gone.

That wasn't the worst part. They could have been wandering the island together as the sun rose. They could have been finding berries or another foreign snack for them to eat for their morning meal. And yet, the overly large footprints in the Earth suggested otherwise. It suggested that they had been taken.

"Where's Lucy?" Edmund said with distress. He had finally picked up on the situation, the fear for his sister bubbling up inside of him. "_Lucy_?"

"Margaret isn't here either." Annette couldn't stop her voice from shaking. In a matter of seconds, her sword was securely back at her side. It looked like she was going to use her fighting skills after all. "We have to go and find them!"

Drinian heard the distressed cries and snapped to attention. "Everybody up!" He ordered with a whisper. He seemed to be the only sensible one; if there were kidnapping creatures lingering in the woods, they should have been keeping their voices down. "Get up!" He continued to hiss in a low whisper to the rest of the crew. "Get up, I said!"

"When did you notice they were gone?" Annette frantically asked Caspian.

"Only when I awoke," he explained. He was strapping on his weapons just as swiftly as she had. "That was only seconds before you." She glanced down at his hand, remembering the familiar warmth it provided her. Now all she felt was cold. "This way!" He shouted, pointing towards the woods.

Annette groaned. It was one thing when Margaret got herself into trouble, but when it was someone else… well, that was a threat to her too. The girls were sisters through thick and thin. If they messed with Margaret, they had to deal with Annette.

Her sword fighting back on the ship reassured her that she would be able to fight well if necessary. Not to mention, she had two Narnian Kings by her side, numerous warriors and a snotty young boy who could startle the enemies into shock. At least Eustace was good for something.

Where was the boy anyway?

Annette froze at the edge of the forest to look back at the camp. His body was nowhere to be seen and her stomach twisted at the realization that he might have been taken as well. _Although I don't know why they would _want _to take him, _she thought to herself with some amusement. Without a double check of the area, she scurried into the thick brushes of the woods, keeping her eyes fixated ahead.

If she would have looked once more at the campsite, she may not have missed a tightly bundled Eustace sleeping soundly behind a rock.

And she may have saved them an extra bit of grumbling when he awoke.

~.~.~.~.~.~

The dark hallway leading to the main chamber had a Middle-Eastern feel, as Margaret noted whilst trekking slowly down the corridor. Lucy and her exchanged no words, their eyes fixated on another pair of doors opening ahead of them. Though they were fearful of who might be lingering in that strange, invisible mansion, they could not keep their steps quiet on the marble floor.

Upon finally entering the room, the two girls couldn't have been more pleased. Although their actions could be seen as breaking-and-entering, the oval library that greeted them might very well have been worth the trouble. Books of all colors smiled towards them, their spines rising from the floor to the highest points of the gothic ceiling.

"It's… breathtaking." Margaret could not contain her wonder. There were small sections of bookshelves that split the room into different sectors. Each one contained a different genre of books as well as another gasp from Margaret. She scanned the shelves with curiosity, immediately forgetting the task assigned to her.

"Margaret, look!" Lucy gasped from the center of the room. "It's the book. 'The Book of Incantations'." Her slender frame leaned over a heavy cover resting on a display. Margaret backtracked and stood beside her friend.

"This is where the spell is supposed to be?"

"Yes," Lucy mumbled as she fiddled with the lock. "I can't seem to figure out how to open it."

Margaret saw something move from the corner of her eye. The decorative angels that lined the edges of the book's pedestal began to puff out air from their fat cheeks. Margaret pointed quietly as the magic occurred, giving Lucy and her both an idea. The two exchanged looks before simultaneously blowing their breath across the top.

The words began to swim towards the top, forming a straight line that clearly spelt out the title. "Wow," Margaret said with a whisper of awe. "If only my diary could lock in such a way."

Lucy ignored Margaret's comment and eagerly began to flip through the pages. Her eyes danced at the medieval drawings and rhymes of the different spells. One, in particular caught Margaret's eye. "Lucy! Look! There's one for snow." Her finger pointed to a black page with excitement. "Read it, please!"

Lucy chuckled silently as both girls leaned closer towards the words. "_With these words," _Lucy began to recite. "_Your tongue must sow. For all around there… To be snow." _Her eyes flickered up towards Margaret's face. "Do you think it will work?"

Just as she whispered her last syllable, a flake from heaven trickled down onto the page. Both girls stared at it with a sense of disbelief and wonder. The branches of the snowflake were clear across the black page, its unique style somehow astonishingly beautiful, despite its simplicity. With the blink of an eye, it melted into the page forever. Margaret could almost smell the pine trees and peppermint that comforted her at Christmastime.

"Margaret, look…"

Lucy's eyes faced the ceiling as a shower of snow began to trickle around them. A free-flowing laugh fell from Margaret's lips as she outstretched her arms. She took a step backwards to bask in the gentle chill of the frozen rain, the memories of presents and family flooding back into her mind.

Her eyes shut as the flakes spread across her cheeks. Lucy remained at the pages of the book, already losing interest, but Margaret could have stayed under the snow for hours. Gothic pillars up above continued to sprinkle snow around them. The floors were already white beneath their feet and that infinite feeling of happiness trickled through Margaret's chest.

"We have to remember this spell," Margaret laughed aloud.

Lucy grinned and blew some of the flakes away from the page. However, this seemed to send the book into a whirl of surprise, as the pages began to frantically flip towards the last page. Lucy quickly reached out her hand to stop it.

"What happened?" Margaret mumbled in surprise. Everything was back to normal. Even his skin was warm to the touch. Her attention drew her to the other side of the room, where more magical books seemed to whisper her name in as many different voices as there were genres.

Margaret could not hear Lucy as she spoke. She mentioned something about Susan, but Margaret was much further down the corridor and her words got lost in the tall ceilings. "Sorry, Lucy," she said over she shoulder. "Did you say-?"

There was a sound then like no other. The sound belonged to one voice and one voice alone. It was a lion's roar, and its fury was unmistakable. The growl echoed on every inch of the hall, echoing and reverberating through the skulls of both the girls. Margaret's hands flew to her ears to block out the noise, but upon realization of the animalistic roar, her heart began to pick up its pace.

"Aslan…?" She whispered with hope.

But it couldn't be. There was no Lion in those halls. She had been exploring every one of them and his large mane would certainly have made itself known. The sound of his roar struck her with misery. She missed the noble Lion. Where was he, and had he been watching them since their arrival?

Margaret forced herself to believe that it was her imagination. Perhaps Lucy had dropped the book and the echo was familiar to that of a growl. Whatever it was, she would not believe that Aslan would be in her presence and not make himself known.

But Margaret swore she could have felt him. The warmth of his breath on her. That shadow of protection that lingered when he was near.

"Lucy…" Margaret spoke as she quickly made her way back to the girl. "Did you hear-"

"Nothing," Lucy answered too quickly. Her arms were tightly secured behind her back, giving Margaret good reason to be suspicious. "I heard nothing."

There was a moment's pause as the girls eyed the other. Lucy looked just as startled as Margaret felt, and maybe she was also fearful to admit that she heard such a terrifying noise. What if there were other Lions in Narnia, unlike Aslan, who were hungry for flesh and hiding in the comfort of invisible castles?

"Let's just read the spell and leave," Margaret mumbled. "I'm starting to feel uneasy with this place." When her eyes planted themselves on the pages, she was surprised and pleased to find that Lucy had the spell ready to go. "Who shall read it?" She asked quietly, fearful of what might come to light when they made the invisible… well, visible.

"We'll read it together," Lucy replied. "_The Spell to Make The Unseen Seen. Like the 'P' in 'Psychology'…" _

And so it began.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Caspian was running through the woods. Nothing was going to harm his two friends. He would make sure of that. But because of his swiftness and eagerness to save them, he had missed one of the most important clues.

"Caspian!" Edmund shouted as he picked something up from the garden floor. "Lucy's dagger."

~.~.~.~.~.~

Margaret continued with revered hesitation. _"The 'H' in 'Psychiatry'…"_

"_Invisible ink and the truth in Theology…"_

~.~.~.~.~

Before Caspian could even grasp the girl's weapon in his hand, the whizzing sound of arrows sounded in the sky above them. "Caspian!" Annette shouted. "Look out!" She had seen the spears flying their way before anyone else had taken notice. Her eyes were fixated towards the sky, and the large pieces of wood were ruthlessly charging straight for her King. Her body pushed through the rest of the soldiers until it met with Caspian, dragging him backwards and hard into her chest. Just as she did so, a numerous amount of spears found their home right where he had been standing.

Her arms shook mercilessly as she held him in her grasp, the warmth of his skin a reassurance that she had saved him. "Annette…" He breathed, though his back was to her. His fingers squeezed the ones that were wrapped around his waist. "It seems as if I owe you a life debt."

~.~.~.~.~

Margaret did not want to speak the next four words, but she did. _"The spell is complete." _

"_Now all is visible…"_

And as the magic began to swirl and the words took their toll, the unseen really did get the chance to be seen. And though many good things may have come to light with that spell, there were other unwelcoming presences that made themselves known. As a mysterious figure trickled into both of their views, they truly wondered if it had been the best idea after all.

~.~.~.~.~

"Stop right there or perish!" It was the deep voice of the invisibles once again, though the grimy tone was new to the rest of the Dawn Treader crew. The humans all had their swords prepared to fight, but they were slowly learning that this was not going to be as easy as they had once figured.

"Can you see anyone?" Annette whispered nervously.

"No," Caspian mumbled. "And that is what worries me." Without even a second to think, Caspian's sword was ripped from his fingertips, and a flying punch to his face sent the King whirling back into Annette's arms. She caught him with a state of shock as the rest of her friends began to tumble to the ground as well.

The mysterious creatures took their own swords from them, though the hands of their masters were far from being seen.

Or, perhaps, not as far as they had thought.

~.~.~.~.~

The outline of a tall, elderly man was starting to form over the view of the books. The girls found comfort in the other, pressing their sides together and keeping a firm grip on whatever weapon they could find. Lucy had no dagger, but she had the title of Queen and could use that to her advantage. On the other hand, Margaret would do the best that she could with her fist.

When the man finally realized they were there, his gaze fell gentle. Both of the girls were shocked to see that he kept his calm, but there was nothing openly threatening in those light blue eyes.

"Are you…" Margaret's voice halted in her throat as the man came closer. Without thinking, she took a step back for protection.

"Do not be fearful." His voice was just as gentle as his gaze. He held a grandfatherly stature about him and he tried to offer the girls a reassuring smile. "I will not hurt you, but I think you should know that your friends have showed up."

~.~.~.~.~.~

Caspian called out from the ground as the men still standing tried their best to fight off the harassers. "What sort of creatures are you?"

"Big ones," the chief explained. "With the head of a tiger and the body of a… a…"

"Different tiger!" One contributed.

"My God," Annette snorted as quietly as she could. "They're not very intelligent at all. I feel partially foolish of being fearful of them now."

Caspian subtly pointed towards a bush. "Look what's happening." Annette followed his direction. The air itself began to wobble, as if something were breaking through the barrier of the atmosphere. Every part of her wished that Mrs. Bird, her summer school Chemistry teacher, could have been there to witness it. _Her and her test tubes would have no explanation for _this, she thought with amusement.

"You don't want to mess with us!" The creatures, which were slowly starting to form, reassured them.

Edmund spoke up as his fear began to disperse. "Or what?"

"Or I'll claw you to death!" Each word that fell from the speaker's mouth revealed more and more of his body. By the time he was done with his 'terrifying' speech, the members of the Dawn Treader knew that there was no real threat after all. They were dwarf-like creatures with a tiny body and one enormous foot. One creature's foot stood atop _another _creature of his own race, and their plump faces and mangled hair reassured the crew that fighting them was merely a waste of their time.

"I'll run my tuft right through you!" Another one cursed, releasing cheers from the others.

Annette was beaming from ear to ear. They were almost cute, in their own way, and the fact that they believed themselves to be invisible made them all the more adorable. "Are you finding this humorous?" Caspian addressed her. She could only nod, her smile expanding towards he ears. "Good. I didn't want to be the only one."

"I'll gnash you with my teeth!" Another one spat.

"And I'll bite you with my fangs!" The creature growled with his teeth clenched, and Annette knew she could no longer keep her control. Endless streams of laughter began to trickle from her lips, confusing their attackers into silence.

"You mean… _squash_ us with your fat bellies?" Edmund teased alongside Annette.

The creatures faces dropped as the insult hit them ironically straight in the gut. "Fat bellies?" One of them called out in anger, placing a comforting hand to his stomach.

Caspian lifted a brow in amusement. "Tickle us with your toes?" Annette burst out with another fit of laughter, Caspian playfully nudging her with his shoulder to keep her going. Hearing her laugh not only put a smile on his face, but cheered him up, and reminded him that as long as she was beside him, things couldn't be as terrible as they seemed.

The creatures fell to the ground in shock, providing Edmund with the perfect opportunity for a threat. He scooped up a fallen sword, only to place it under a red bearded neck. "What have you done with my sister and my friend, you little pip-squeak?"

"Now… calm down…"

Annette recognized the deep voice as the leader of the group. He was bigger than the rest, but hardly as tall as her waist. His head and chin were decorated with a large mat of orange hair, and his wrinkled face suggested that he was far too old to kill any of them.

"Where are they?" Edmund pressed the sword further into his neck.

"You'd better tell him!" One of the one-footed dwarves grew fearful.

"In the mansion," the leader confessed.

Edmund's face twisted in confusion. He had been scouting the area for a while and there had been no mansion in sight. "What mansion?"

And just as the creatures had appeared before them, likewise occurred with a mansion. It flickered across the sky like a firework until it was at its fullest beauty. Its roof was tall and gothic like one found in the English countryside. Edmund couldn't help but smile. "Oh. That mansion."

All of them admitted to themselves that it was beautiful, despite the ivy trickling up towards the highest windows and the gray exterior. Others may have viewed it as haunted if it were in the right setting, but in Narnia it was a surprising beauty and Edmund and Annette found the British-style home rather familiar and comforting.

"You know, I'm getting really tired of you all leaving me behind!"

Annette's eyes shut at the sound of the boy's voice. "Eustace," she spat. She had forgotten about him and was certainly not in the mood for his complaints. She spun around to confront him, to tell him what was happening and that he should keep his mouth shut, but upon looking at his face she could see he was just as stunned as they were.

"The pig's come back!" One of the critters called out.

Eustace's brows came together in his forehead as he noticed the one-footed men eyeing him with disgust. "This place is getting weirder and weirder…"

"Look! It's the oppressor!" One of the beings pointed towards the mansion door with shaking hands. Sure enough, a robed gentleman with two young girls at his side came spilling out from the doorway. All wore smiles on their faces and even seemed to be…

"Laughing?" Annette questioned. "Who is that man and how did they meet him?"

"I have a feeling these little monsters put them up to it," Caspian chuckled in amusement.

The elderly gentleman bowed low at the sight of the Dawn Treader crew. Annette leaned back in shock. She had not expected him to act so formal. In fact, she imagined him to be a recluse due to his hidden home. But when Lucy began to explain, the puzzle started fitting together. "Caspian, Edmund, and Annette," she said clearly. "This is Coriakin. This is his island."

The three of them exchanged glances. Though they were royalty of that World, stepping foot on an island once believed to be abandoned, and then realizing it had an owner… Well that deserved a bow on _their_ part.

"That's what he thinks," the ginger dwarf took a determined hop forward. "You have wronged us, Magician!"

Coriakin doubled the threat by taking numerous steps closer, until the critters were all hoping backwards in fear. "I have not wronged you!" He said loudly and defensively. "I made you invisible for your own protection."

"Protection?"

"That's oppressing!"

"Oppressor!"

Annette could listen to their ungrateful cries no more. She turned her back to them and hoped that the magician would do whatever he could to make them invisible once more.

Coriakin's voice continued to maintain its stillness. It was clear they had had this conversation before. "I have not oppressed you."

"But you could have!" The ginger one shouted again. "… If you wanted to!"

Margaret huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, yes. That makes complete sense. Yell at the man who didn't oppress you for that exact reason." Edmund heard her from across the way and shot her a smile. Her stomach fluttered, making her suddenly forget exactly where she was and what she was doing there. It wasn't the first time his sudden smile had sucked her from reality.

The sorcerer stuck out his fist, letting small white fluffs dance about the air. "Be gone!" The beings shrieked in fear, as if the gentle feathers would harm them. Coriakin sighed. Another long day was beginning.

"What was that?" Lucy questioned, her eyes trailing after the white buds.

The magician smirked playfully. "Lint. But don't tell them."

Eustace stood still as the one-footed men rummaged their way around him. Margaret was surprised to see him so calm, almost as if he were enjoying himself. "What were those things?" A genuinely curious inflection rang out in his voice.

"Dufflepuds," the elderly man explained.

"Right, of course." Eustace rolled his eyes in the back of his head. Margaret wondered if he ever got tired of that. "Silly me."

Everyone followed Coriakin inside. His gaze was stern and knowing as if there were something he must tell them. Edmund leaned over to Margaret as they followed him indoors. "I'm glad your safe." Her blush was the only response he needed. "Did you tell him why we're here? He seems like he wants to show us something."

"We did," Margaret confessed. "However, it was not without safety. He proved to be an ally."

"He did? He seems harmless enough, but how are you certain?"

Margaret pressed her lips together in a tight line. "I wouldn't normally tell people this back at home, but since you know the ways of Narnia, I will inform you." Edmund waited in anticipation. "He is not human. He is merely taking human form, as Aslan requested of him."

Edmund stopped on the threshold of the mansion. He opened and closed his mouth, unsure of which words to use. "Then… what is he, exactly?"

Margaret couldn't help but giggle along with her answer. "He is a star. Aslan ordered him to look after the Dufflepuds. Lucy and I knew we could trust him when he made mention of Aslan." Margaret followed Edmund inside the mansion, the door closing with a bang behind her. "Do you think we made the right decision?"

"Like you said… he isn't even human. I think we're going to be alright."

Lucy's voice rang out in the marble hallway. "What did you mean when you said you made them invisible for their own good?"

"It seemed the easiest way to protect them from the evil," Coriakin answered with a dark tone lingering between his breaths.

They all continued to follow him towards the main library. "Do you mean the mist?" Edmund tried to clarify.

"The mist," Annette confirmed with a shudder. "It was seen on the Lone Islands. Those people simply… disappeared. It was like they had never been taken onto the water." The thought of those innocent souls losing their way into the unknown seemed monstrous. She could hardly believe such horrors were happening in the land she loved most.

Coriakin had other terrors in mind. "I mean what lies _behind _the mist." He stayed his ground in the Middle-Eastern hallway, gesturing for everyone to step foot into the main hall. It did not take long for the guests to forget the dark nature of the conversation. The stunning view of the room was enough to take their focus away from anything else besides its splendor. Only this time, violet and sapphire clouds floated about the ceiling with stars intertwining between them.

The six of them gathered around the edge of the room as Coriakin snatched a scroll from a nearby shelf. Margaret moved closer to Annette, feeling comfort in her friend's presence. "I was worried," Annette confirmed with a whisper.

Margaret let a small smile slip onto her face. "After seeing the Dufflepuds, I'm embarrassed to say I was worried for myself as well."

The group watched as Coriakin took the center ground and extended his arm like a whip. The scrolled paper was sent flowing out onto the ground, spreading into a three-dimensional map before their eyes. Clouds hovered about the water, which also moved though there was no breeze in the house. Everyone was in awe of the magic, but the person who seemed most bewitched was not the one they had expected.

"That's quite beautiful," Eustace guffawed with another step closer. His eyes followed a trail of horses that began to run across the edge of the paper. Margaret couldn't help but smile. She made the right choice to be nice to the boy. He would prove himself wrong one day. If he was lucky, he might even become a hero. Everyone was staring at him with a dopey grin on his or her face. It didn't take him long to correct his kindness. "I mean… for a make-believe map in a make-believe world."

"Come on, Eustace," Margaret whispered playfully in his ear. "You know you love it."

Eustace grumbled and brushed her away from his shoulder. "I would love for you to get away from me. _That's_ what I would love."

Coriakin continued his previous conversation with no mind directed towards the rude boy. "Here is the source of your troubles." The map began to move quickly away from him, until a large island appeared in the center. The first sight of it sent a chill down every spine in the room, including the books. It was clearly not a welcoming sight and those who lived on it were certain to be miserable beings. It had rocks spreading out of it that echoed of claws. Even the air surrounding it looked like soot and smoke, suffocating the natural beauty of the Great Eastern Ocean. "The Dark Island," Coriakin explained. "The place where evil lurks. It can take any form." His eyes glazed over to Edmund. "It can make your darkest dreams come true."

Something was set off in Edmund with the knowing gaze of the wizard. Margaret didn't need to look at Edmund to see his distress. She could sense his uncertainty in the air. But because she was looking at him, it was clear that there was a nervous bump in his throat that was difficult to swallow down. She knew what he was thinking of.

The White Witch.

"It seeks to corrupt all goodness," the man continued with an eerie ring in his voice. "To steal the light from this world." He stood in the center of the map, getting a better view of the audience. His speech was important and he wanted, _needed_, for them to hear it.

"How do we stop it?" Lucy was clearly afraid of the answer.

"You must break its spell. That sword you carry…" He turned his attention back to Edmund, his finger knowingly pointing at the weapon by the young boy's side. "… There are six others."

"My sword?" Margaret felt protective of the weapon. Caspian had given it to her and Edmund as a gift. It was in honor of her approval of him for Annette. She would be terribly upset if she had to give it up. "That won't be going anywhere."

Edmund knew he would have to calm Margaret down later, but he desired to hear more of Coriakin's information.. "Have you seen them? The others?"

"Yes," Coriakin said quickly. A sense of hope lifted inside of the room as the wizard's knowledge of their quest continued to impress them.

"The six Lords," Caspian replied. "They passed through here."

"Indeed." Coriakin made his way towards the young King. The clouds hovering above the map parted easily for him, retaking their place once he was out of their way.

Caspian's brows furrowed together in his head, though he was growing more pleased by the minute. The news being fed to him was reassuring. They were not dead and their swords were still capable of retrieving. He could have asked for little more than that and knew that morning sun had blessed him. "Where are they?"

"Where I sent them." The map began to move in the opposite direction, taking everyone by surprise. Annette was drawn to it somehow, and she quietly began to make her way towards the paper. Her foot stepped atop the water, causing it to ripple until breaking against Coriakin's shoe. The gentleman spun around to shoot the girl a bemused look. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Sheepishly, Annette regained her senses and returned to her previous state. It was Caspian's turn to grin from ear to ear.

The new island that appeared found its home on the opposite side of the map. It was rocky and large and the atmospheres around it were clean. There were traces of green along the shore and climbing up the rocks, suggesting at a more fertile environment. Everyone gave a sigh of relief. At least they got to visit somewhere beautiful on their voyage. "You must follow the blue star to Ramandu's island. There, the seven swords must be laid at Aslan's table. Only then can their true magical power be released… But beware. You are all about to be tested."

Lucy was the only one who put their fear into words. "Tested…?"

"Until you lay down the seventh sword, evil has the upper hand. It will do everything in its power to tempt you."

Edmund set free a much-needed sigh. The White Witch appeared each time he found his way into Narnia. If she met him once again, be it on the battlefield, in his dreams, or on that island, he would suffer for much longer than the last two times. Margaret slid her hand onto his back and gently spread her fingers apart, hoping her warmth would calm him. He said nothing, but took a step back to press himself further into her hand. It was as good of an answer as she needed.

Caspian was also displeased. He had battled with the Giants of the North and with the Calormen armies within three years. The last thing he needed was a threat to his sanity, his life, and his crewmates. And yet this was what he had gotten himself into. He didn't _need_ to save the Seven Lords, but he was a good man and would therefore do what he could. Annette flickered her eyes up towards him, the shadow of the map illuminating his face in a way she had never seen him. The lashes of his eyes casted long shadows across his unshaven cheeks. His hair was darker without the light of day and there was a firm clench in his jaw of that resonated with determination. He looked much older than he had before; ready to take on any challenge She admired him so dearly and hoped that she could tell him so for many more days to come.

_If I go back to England a second time, it may very well kill me. _Annette cursed inwardly. _But I will wait and see how the course plays out. _

"Be strong." Coriakin's words struck them all back into reality. There was no wishful hope in his voice. He was as serious as they came, his eyes unblinking and his mouth firmly set. "Don't fall to temptation. To defeat the darkness out there… You must defeat the darkness within yourself."

Eustace's grin seemed out of place. Margaret noticed it the second he cracked it and she couldn't hide her confusion. "Well then," Eustace said with a clasp of his hands. "It's a good thing I'm not fearful of anything!"

Margaret groaned wearily. She had hoped to herself that he was getting better. It was like her personal project, and so far she was failing. He seemed to be taking in Narnia's magic quite well, but that all went downhill when he said something egotistical or immature. "After all that process?" Margaret said with a shake of her head.

Eustace snapped his head in her direction. "I told you that you had a good match on the ship." His words were like a whip: quick, stinging and sharp. "Don't get your head lost in the clouds!"

And though there was much darkness yet to come, Margaret couldn't help to slip out one more laugh for old time's sake.


End file.
